I Never Knew You Could Dance Like That
by Sancontoa
Summary: AU Lily Evans is a princess and James Potter is a poor working boy. So how is it that they ever fell in love? It's a tale as old as time, with a glass slipper, a steet rat, and a lot of Dirty Dancing!
1. Her Royal Highness Princess Lily Evans

I Never Knew You Could Dance Like That

_**By Sancontoa **_

_**Declaimer: **__Lily, James, and all other characters and brilliant ideas you know belong to JK. Rowling, I just played with them a bit. _

_**A/N: PLEASE READ! **__I would like to point this out right now, before I get a lot of people telling me I got such and such wrong, this is an __**AU story. **__I know the canon Lily and James's background stories very well and in writing this story I ignored the parts them that didn't fit my story. I wouldn't say this, but I have had people keep pointing out things I had meant to change in other stories I have written. Another note is that I started writing this story shortly after the fifth book was published and although I have tried to alter it to fit the things revealed in later books some things can't be changed. I had so much fun writing this story and I hope you have fun reading it, so I'll shut up now and let you get on with it. _

**A/N FOR RE-WRITE (July 2008)**: After a very, very long hiatus (two years) the story is back!! I have gone through a re-written and tweaked a few parts of it. Because of this and also because I'm sure it's been years since my older readers have read this story I encourage all readers to read the whole story instead of skipping to the end. However I want to thank everyone with sticking with this story and THANK YOU SO MUCH for all the reviews they have meant a lot. So now on with the story!

**Introducing Her Royal Highness Princess Lily Marie Evans**

Lily Marie Evans was a lovely little girl and when grown-ups first met her many couldn't help themselves from smiling at how cute she was. In recent years this had lessened, much to Lily's delight, and instead she got complements on how 'lovely' and 'pretty' she looked that evening. Lily couldn't help it but she liked impressing people with her looks and so she did her best to keep up her appearance, making sure her long fire-red hair was always neat and styled and didn't fall into her face so people could admire her emerald green eyes and freckles. She always smiled at company, knew ten different ways to curtsey, and always had a partner during the waltz. In the mornings she usually studied French, Spanish, Latin, mathematics, the Greeks and the Romans and Shakespeare, and all those other things a young lady should learn so she would have something interesting to say when conversing with people. However it was on the afternoons that Lily would do the things she liked to do like fly kites, run in the woods then collapse under a tree to read a good book then she would find a empty field and sing at the top of her voice and do all the other things little girls do. All and all, Lily had a normal life, or at least what was considered a normal life for a princess.

The most important thing about Lily was that she was the princess of the magical royal family in England. Her family had once been the sole rulers of the magical community for the whole of 

the British Empire. Though over the centuries that had changed and like their none-magical counterparts, they had become more of a figurehead. The Minister of Magic now held all the real power and the royal family went to Grand Openings and planed parties and had more of an influence over politics than any real power. Not that they weren't loved by the magical population, they were, everyone adorned old King Henry and Queen Katherine and their two lovely daughters the princesses Petunia and Lily.

Petunia was the older of the two, by three years and five months. Yet she was not the heir to the throne. It was tragic, everyone said, that Petunia was born a squib. Most people thought it was her anger at being born without magic and jealous because her sister was witch that had turned Petunia into such spoiled brat. They felt sorry for her but deep down everyone was glad that it was the youngest; Lily who would inherit the throne one day.

Lily was a truly beautiful child, on the inside and outside, everyone said. She really cared about the population. She was once heard to arguing with the Minister of Magic that he should try to give more rights to werewolves and centers. Yet, she was only an eleven-year-old little girl, even if she was a princess and like all the others her mind was usually not on politics. Currently her mind was full thinking about Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where she would be starting her magical education in only two weeks time. Her family, going back to when the school had started, had gone to Hogwarts. They had all, with the except of her great-great-great uncle Thomas who had dragon-boxes and died in his second year, been prefects and then Head Boy or Girl.

"But, what if I'm rubbish August," Lily asked her black-and-white kitten in despair. Unfortunately mostly likely because of the fact that cats can't talk she did not get any answer besides a long 'meow' which could have meant anything. Lily would have talked to a real person but there really was no one. Her parents weren't the kind who liked listening to their children. Her mother would tell her everything would be fine and that she'd get worry lines if she kept her face like that and her father would pat her on the head without listening and tell her to run along so he could read his paper. Then there was Petunia but she hated Lily and was still sore about not being able to go to Hogwarts so she would probably just ignore Lily if she went to her for advice. Lily had no real friends just people who were forced by their parents to go to one of the many balls her parents throw and make small talk with her. Sure they were nice but they were the kind of people who wanted to know the princess not the girl and would probably not really care if she poured out her heart to them. She reasoned that she didn't need friends, she had her books and her cat and she needed to concentrate on her schoolwork anyway. But deep down Lily knew she was lonely and couldn't wait to go to Hogwarts where there would be people of her status who wouldn't be so star struck that she could make real friends.

"Dinner is served, miss," a house-elf announced from the door.

"Thank you Charles," Lily replied formal then went to check herself in the mirror. She wore a long baby blue dress with many ribbons and pearls sowed into it. Her long red hair was tied 

back into a French braid which her maid, a young women from Surry, had done that morning. Patting her hair one last time she left the room.

The hall was long and ornately decorated. Every ten feet or so stood a suit of armor that was at least three hundred years old. Next-door was a large bathroom, with a swimming size tub, shower, and full-length mirror. Across the hall was the "playroom" which hadn't had toys in it since she was seven. Instead it had a TV, video games, refrigerator, mini-bar, three walls of bookcases full Lily's books, and a number of other things kids enjoyed. Lily never really liked most of the muggle electronics in the room but she loved the books so she spent a great deal of her time in the room snuggled in one of the arm-chairs. However her favorite room by far was located up the windy stairs next to the "playroom." It had formally been a watchtower but had been turned into a sort of study with an oak desk, more bookshelves, and a globe of the world in one corner. The windows on one side looked out over the lake on the grounds and you could see as far as the nearest village on the other side. Lily liked to sit up in the room long past midnight thinking about her ancestors and what their lives must have been like when the Kings and Queens had still had complete control over the kingdom.

Lily felt she would really miss the castle once she was gone. Yet after spending her whole life closed up in the place she couldn't wait to get out and see the real world. Most people think, being a princess you have complete freedom in everything but she Lily was more restricted then most people. The only other places she had been in her life were to her parent's other residences in the countryside. Lily had never even seen London! Her only companions were tutors, the family house-elves, and other people who worked for her parents. The thought of leaving her little world was kind of scary though. But it was expected of her so it wasn't as if she could back out even if she wanted to. Not that she did, for the first time she would really be able to make friends, with people her own age! It was a scary and amazing idea that she wouldn't give up for anything.

Pulling herself out of her thoughts Lily squared her shoulders and glided into the formal dining room. Her father, the elderly king, sat at the head of the table. He was an extremely tall man with long willowy fingers and deep thoughtful blue eyes. He wore a black robe with the royal family's symbol painted in gold to one side and his crown precisely positioned on his neatly trimmed hair which had once been the color of fire just like his daughter's. Her mother, the Queen, sat next to him wearing a salmon pink dress robe. Her features were dark and noble, showing of her Spanish roots. It was only her emerald green eyes that suggested some Irish blood. She was also unusually tall but this was mostly due to her neck which was a least twice as long as a normal one. Petunia, who sat next to her father wearing a purple muggle dress, looked like a mix between her two parents. She had the long neck of her mother and the blue eyes of her father. Her skin was not quite dark enough to look Spanish, yet did not look at all like an English girl's skin. Unsurprisingly she had inherited the height of both her parents.

Lily though she looked more like her father then mother because she had her father's hair and pale skin. The freckles that dotted her face could have come from any side but she suspected her father, yet it was her mother's eyes that made her look like a real Irish girl. The thing that 

really set Lily apart from her family was her height, no one knew exactly were it come from, as everyone in her family for at least five hundred years had been freakishly tall, but Lily was short, very short. It was the one thing that Lily really hated about her family that when there were family reunions she was always looking up at everyone.

"Good evening Lily," King Henry said pulling his daughter out of her musings for the second time that night.

"Good evening father," Lily replied equally formally, curtsied well trying not to giggle. She took her seat next to Petunia and the dance began. Or at least that's what Lily though formal dinners with the royal family looked like. The food, as always, was masterpieces in itself. Glistening d'oeuvres, turkeys a color of dark gold, pastry pigs, spiced backed hams crowded against salads of harlequin designs, and the finally little trays of dark truffles shaped into different designed. The family talked very little, mostly focusing on their food. Lily and Petunia were forced to report on what they had learned that day. Then the King and Queen told their children about the party they had gone to at an opening for a new wing in Saint Mango's.

After dinner the family left the table and went their separate ways. Henry to his study, Katherine for a walk in the gardens, and Petunia to the local village where she would go visit her friends from the Muggle School she attended and do God knows what. Lily went up to her room and changed into a muggle t-shirt and jeans. Then she went to visit the gardeners who lived in a cottage on the grounds.

"Is anyone home?" She asked knocking at the door, "It's me, Lily."

"It's open dear," an elderly women called from inside.

Lily opened the door to find a gray haired old lady in a flowery dress standing over a teapot in the kitchen. It was Molly Thomas; she and her husband Edward kept up the extravagant gardens that surrounded the castle and they had lived in little cottage on the grounds ever since Lily could remember. Lily had been coming down to visit them since she could walk and they were almost like second parents to her. Of course her real parents didn't know that, they though she merely like plants and went to disguise them with the Thomas's. They would hardly approve of their daughter making friends with servants. As much as Lily wanted to deny it, her parents were a bit snobby.

"Edward get out here Lily's come to visit," Molly yelled into the other room. A moment later an old man in a gray coat come into the main room.

"Why hello my girl," he said smiling and went to hug her. "How long left till you leave us now?"

"Only two weeks," Lily told them, "I'm really going to miss you two."

"And we're going to miss ye too dear but no use dwelling on it. Let's all have some tea now and you can tell us about your day," Molly told her drawing Lily in for a large huge.

Lily spent the next few hours with the Thomas's, drinking tea and talking about old times. Later Edward took out a pack of cards and they played poker, betting with sweets Molly kept special for these occasions. Lily didn't want to go home when at almost eleven Molly sowed her out the door saying she had to get up early the next day.

Yawning she walked back up to the castle the fireflies dancing around her head in the darkness of mid-summer. Lights glowed on the surfaces of the many reflecting pools and fountains of the castle grounds. Lily wished for a moment that she wasn't leaving the place but only for a moment.

She climbed the stairs two at a time suddenly very tired. Molly was right tomorrow she was getting up early because she would be going to Diagon Alley and London for the first time. The elegant halls of her family's castle seemed even prettier in the moonlight. A main hallway lined with tapestries and suits of armor, lead of into many huge, glamorous rooms. There was the ballroom, the indoor pool, her mother's garden, her father's study, the many sitting rooms, the family library with books from ceiling to floor, and so many others she knew so well. Finally she came to the main staircase, which lead up to the top floor and her room. Past her parent's hall, her sister's wing, the guest hall, and finally there she was at her room. She pushed open the ancient walnut door and collapsed into her bed and was asleep within minutes, not even bothering to undress. Later in the night a house elf would come to check on her and with a snap of it's finger she would be dressed in her silk nightgown and tucked under the comfortable sheets.

* * *

Lily woke up the next morning to a steady tapping at her door.

"Come in," she called out groggily, rubbing her eyes and squinting though the sunlit room at the door.

"Miss," Charles the house elf said, coming in and bowing to her. "Breakfast is on the table and the King says you will be leaving in an hour."

"Thank you Charles, I will be down shortly," Lily announced, sitting up fully awake now. Today was the day; she would finally get to go to Diagon Alley! She jumped out of bed and ran over to her closet. It opened to reveal an enormous wardrobe most little girls dream of having. There were shoes of all kinds, robes of all colors, T-shirts, jeans, bellowing skirts, long flowing evening gowns and puffy summer dresses. Hats of all shapes and sizes lay on shelves, next to gloves and socks, sunglasses, bags, purse, necklaces, headbands, and every conservable thing a person wears. Lily could not think what to wear. She wanted to look really nice for the common people who would see her but not too fancy, she didn't want to stand out. She wanted to be 

comfortable, yet fashionable and still look good. Finally she settled for a plain blue top and a long flowing white skirt, below a black robe with little blue stars. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail with a big blue bow.

Finally, almost a half an hour after she had gotten up, Lily was finally ready. She felt like she was going to throw up she was so nervous. Repeating over and over in her head that she would be fine she walked downstairs. Breakfast was laid out on the table but the rest of her family had already eaten. So Lily sat down and took some eggs and bacon, then sat there for about fifteen minutes trying to eat it. She finally managed to eat half of it and swallow some pumpkin juice, feeling like she was chewing cardboard the whole time.

At half pasted nine she entered her father's study.

"Are you ready?" King Henry asked putting down his quill.

"Yes father," Lily told him, curtsying.

"Very well then, grab the other end of this portkey," he told her holding out a piece of ordinary parchment. Once she'd put a finger on it he tapped the end with his wand. Lily felt a pull behind her navel and was suddenly sorry she had eaten so much. A moment later her feet touch the ground. She almost fell but her father caught her, smiled down at his youngest daughter.

"We're at my office at the ministry," he told her. "I have to talk to a few people before we go down to Diagon Alley. Can you amuse yourself for a few minutes?"

"Of course father," Lily said, looking around, glad of the opportunity to let her stomach settle. King Henry smiled at her again before leaving the office and left alone Lily sat down. The office was very big and decorated in gold. A large chestnut desk stood at one end with about ten plush golden chairs facing it. After about fifteen minutes she picked up one of the books on her father's desk, a study of recent developments in potion making and started reading. After about an hour and a half when she was about halfway through the book and completely bored the door opened. Lily turned, happy that her father was back at last and they could finally get on with the shopping trip he'd promised her.

"Princess Lily" A man in his late thirties said, bowing to her from the door.

"Yes?" Lily asked putting the book down, knowing what was happening because something like this always happened. Her father had canceled and sent someone else to tell her.

"I'm Colin Miller the Junior Undersecretary to the Minister or Magic. The ki- I mean your father has been tied up in some very important business so I'll be escorting you around Diagon Alley," the man told her. Lily could tell he resented the fact that he had been stuck taking an eleven year old shopping. Lily sighed as the wonderful picture of her and her father actually doing something together faded.

"Well, thank you for taking time out of your very busy schedule to help me find my way around," Lily said to Colin adopting the tone of authority her mother had taught her. "Where are we going first?"

It turned out that they would first have to take another portkey to a small pub called the Leaky Caldron, which hid the entrance to Diagon Alley. Unlike earlier, Mr. Miller did not catch Lily as she stumbled upon landing and she ended up on the floor. Grumbling she picked herself up and looked around. The pub was very crowded with all types of peoples. Near her two older women with Yorkshire accents were talking about their grandchildren and behind them three hags were laughing at something one of them had said. Lily even saw a goblin in the corner, counting out coins from a purple sack.

"This way," Miller told her, leading the way to the back of the pub and out into a courtyard. He withdrew his wand and tapped the brinks. Suddenly they melted away to form an archway into a cobblestone street lined with shops.

"I would like to go to the bookstore," Lily told him, not really a question but not a command either. Miller shrugged as if he didn't really care as long as this was over as fast as possible. He led the way down the street Lily trailing behind him. She tried to pretend as though she were merely glancing at her surroundings but that was almost impossible there was just so much to see. The shops with their displays of extraordinary things, the people doing their shopping (actually commoners, Lily though) and everything in-between. As they entered the large book store Lily tried to control herself but it was very hard not to squeak in delight. She left Miller standing at the door and went to look though the stacks. In only a few minutes she had a whole stack of books she was dying to read. She had so many books in fact that she didn't notice the boy till it was too late.

Books went everywhere as the two collided, sending them both to the ground. Lily was so surprised that she just sat there for a moment before starting to gather up her books muttering a hurried apology.

"I'm terribly sorry," the boy said and Lily noticed for the first time that he was only her age if not a bit younger. Then for a moment their eyes meet and Lily felt something she couldn't describe, a sudden fluttering in her stomach, but it was gone as soon as it had come and really was stupid. Miller had come over to take the books from her arms. Without checking if she was alright or even talking to her at all he paid for them and they left the shop in silence, but behind her Lily faintly heard the sounds of someone yelling at that boy she had run into. Lily didn't understand this at all; the boy had done nothing wrong, why was someone tell him off. She didn't dwell on it however; she was out in the sunshine in Diagon Alley with a full day of shopping ahead of her, why should she worry about some boy's problems?

A half an hour later Lily and Miller stood in from of a shop with the sign _'Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands Since 382BC,'_ hanging over the door.

"Why don't I get your potions supplies while you go in there? Picking a wand is a very privet thing," Miller told her and without giving her a chance to say "no" he walked away. A little scared at being left alone Lily stood for a moment in front of the shop before squaring her shoulders and entering.

"Hello," she called out as she entered but found no one there. A chine had sounded over her head when she pushed open the door but it seemed no one had heard it. She walked up to the counter and peered into the back, which was lined with long rectangular boxes which she assumed held wands.

"Good morning," a voice said from behind her making her jump. It was an old man, with eerie moon-like eyes, and a creepy aurora about him. "Aw, I thought I would be seeing you soon."

Lily, a little startled at this odd man, did not reply but just stared at him in a way her mother would not approve off.

"Which is your wand hand?" He asked, pulling out a tape measure.

"Err… right," Lily told him. Ollivander let go of the tape measure and it started to measure her, while he went to the back to pull out wands.

"Willow, 14 inches, dragon heart string," he said, handing her a wand, "well give it a wave."

Lily took it, and waved it around privately feeling a little stupid when nothing happened. But Ollivander snatched the wand from her hand and replaced it a moment later with another one.

"Oak, 7 inches, good for transfiguration." Nothing happened. This went on for about five more wands before he gave her, "Willow, 10 and a half inches, flexible, good for charms." Lily felt a warm tingling sensation in her arm and golden sparks shot out the top of her wand. Ollivander clapped and she felt herself smiling for the first time that day.

"Very good, that'll be eight galleons."

Lily paid for her wand and Mr. Ollivander bowed her from his shop. Outside Miller was waiting for her with a bag full of potions supplies.

"Well, I think we've got everything," Miller announced, "and it's almost time for us to meet your father in the Leaky Caldron, so why don't we go over there and wait for him."

"All right," Lily replied and silently followed him into the Leaky Caldron. They sat at one of the tables in a corner. Lily could tell Miller didn't really want to make small talk so she took out one of her books and started reading. About fifteen minutes later her father came in. Miller seemed overwhelmed to meet the king and bowed very low, making his glasses fall off. After repairing them he muttered a quick goodbye and left, beat red.

"So how was the shopping?" King Henry asked his daughter looking down at all the bags around her, "I see you were successful."

"Yes father, Mr. Miller took me to get everything I needed. How was your meeting?"

"Very productive thank you," King Henry said using his wand to levitate some of the bags as he took out another portkey. Lily took the other end and soon they landed in the entranceway of the mansion. Henry called a house elf to carry Lily's bags upstairs then went off to his office to "do more work."

Lily sighed and took one of her new books outside to read by the lake. In the distance she saw a family of five sitting on a hill just outside the castle grounds having a picnic. The parents were laughing as their children ran around playing what looked like tag. Lily watched them wistfully before going back to her book.

* * *

Three days before she was to leave for Hogwarts the King and Queen threw a farewell ball for their daughter. Her mother had picked out a dazzling pink ball gown for her, which had real diamonds sown into it so it glittered when she spun around. Lily had to stand at the entrance to the doors with her parents to meet the guests. It was here she first meet her future classmates.

"The Blacks," the butler announced as a family of four made their way over.

"Your Majesties," Mr. Black said silkily, bowing along with his two sons while his wife curtsied. "May I present my wife Violate and our two sons Regales and Sirius. Sirius is starting at Hogwarts this year as well."

This startled Lily and she looked up to see one of the black haired boys grinning at her. She didn't know why but he struck her as someone who, despite his name, never took anything seriously. While the adults made small talk, Lily went to said hello to Sirius.

"It's a pleasure to meet such a lovely princess," Sirius told her, bowing again but it was a sparkle in his eyes that made Lily giggle. Regales who stood next to him scowled probably at the fact that Sirius was getting all the attention.

After the Blacks had moved on Lily's mother whispered to her, "the Black family, although from very old nobility and very wealthy which makes us obligated to invite them to such functions as this, is always in Slytherin so I do not want you associating with that boy." Lily scowled; she hated being told who she could "associate with." Besides Sirius seemed nice.

Next came Molly, Gideon and Fabian Prewett. Molly and Fabian were a few years older then Lily, but Gideon was in her year. There was Amelia Bones and Mafabla Hopkirk who liked to be called Mia, and a tall blond boy named Arnold Peasegood, who were all in her year. Bellatrix 

Black, Sirius's cousin, and Antonin Dolohov were also in her year, but her mother told her to avoid them too and Lily didn't mind. Peter Pettigrew was a pudgy little blond, who came from a wealthy family but was lacking in the brain department and tended to be trackless. However she could befriend him, if she wanted to, which Lily privately though wouldn't be very likely.

A very annoying blond boy named Gilderoy Lockheart was going into third year and Lucius Malfoy (who she was to avoid at all cost) was going into his 7th year. There were many more, but those were the few that stuck out in her mind. By the end of the introductions it seemed as if Lily had meet more people to avoid at Hogwarts then to make friends with.

Finally everyone had arrived and Lily was allowed to sit down next to her parents in a small golden throne at the head of the ballroom. During dinner she mostly listened to her parents talking with the Minister of Magic and the other department heads who had come. Finally dinner was over and the dancing began.

"My I have this dance?" Gideon Prewett asked, coming over. Lily looked to her mother who nodded and the two moved onto the dance floor. The orchestra was playing a slow waltz and as she put her arm around Gideon's waist Lily repeated in her head 'one, two, three.' Gideon managed not to step on her feet but Lily did most of the leading, forward and back, to the side, and up, one, two, three, four. The dance ended and after she had curtsied she was asked to dance by Gideon's brother, who luckily was a better dancer. After him, Lockheart asked for a dance to her dismay, then a fourth year Ravenclaw whose name she couldn't remember.

It seemed to go on all night; the orchestra played one slow waltz after another. Her father took her for one dance and then, finally, she mangled to sneak out into the gardens.

"Hiding?" A voice asked from behind her making her jump. It was Sirius Black.

"Don't do that," Lily exclaimed, "and if you must know, I'm going to scream if I have to do the waltz anymore."

"But you're so good," Sirius said, smiling cheekily at her.

"Well if I'm so good, why didn't you ask me?"

"I can't waltz. I wouldn't take the lessons a fact which my mother is still complaining about." Lily giggled and Sirius put on a mock hurt face, "thank you for finding my lack of discipline funny. I'll have you know I've been working very hard to cure myself of it. Unfortunately nothing has worked." This made Lily just giggle harder.

They stayed out in the garden talking a long time. Lily found herself making her first real friend, the only problem was that he was going to be in Slytherin and her parents hated Slytherins.

"Oh, I hear my mother screaming," Sirius said after what seemed like hours. "I must go My Lady. See you on the Hogwarts express."

And he was gone as suddenly as he had come. Lily sighed and went back into the ballroom, maybe she'd get lucky and Sirius would be in Gryffindor. Her parent's hadn't even noticed her absence but when they saw her they dragged her over to meet more people from good respectable families.

The next night Lily lay in bed, wide-awake. She knew she should get some sleep; she did have to get up at seven the next morning. Yet, she couldn't, she was too nervous. Tomorrow she would start her life or at least it seemed that way. What if she got into Slytherin? What if she didn't make any friends? What if she disappointed her parents and her country? It was a lot for an eleven-year-old to worry about. Her last though before she drifted off to sleep was to wonder if that black-haired boy from the bookstore had gotten into Hogwarts…


	2. Mr James Edward Potter

Chapter Two

**Presenting Mr. James Edward Potter**

James Edward Potter never liked to upset anyone. He had learned the hard way that people with dangerous ideas didn't last long in the world. His father, Brain Potter, had spent too much time in his political clubs angering people and not enough trying to find work to support his family. One night another man who had not liked his options had shot him in the street. He was always "starring up trouble" with what the police called his anti-government talks. His death was hardly investigated by those same police officers and his murderer was never caught.

Margaret Potter tried everything possible to give her family a comfortable and secure life but she had failed miserable. For a start she had no formal education past primary school so it was very hard for her to find a job that would pay enough money to support her family. She had met her late husband when she was seventeen and he was nineteen. She was working as a waiter in a bar he liked to go to. One night they both got drunk and a month later Margaret found out Harry was on his way. Brain had done the honorable thing and married her.

From the very beginning there were troubles. The two were not in love. They liked each other fine but living and trying to raise a family together was different. Brain, though he had a fine education, couldn't get a job because he was so well known for his radical ideas. He couldn't support his family but he wouldn't stay home and take care of the kids while Margaret got a job because of his pride. He would usually go to the bar, get drunk, fight, and stumble home at two in the morning to his wife. This was one of the reasons they had so many children. When he had died, almost eight years ago, the little money he had made stopped and Margaret was forced to raise six children while working two jobs as waitresses at different bars to pay the bills. There was simple no time for her to raise her children properly and most of the actually parenting was left to her elder children. It wasn't that she didn't love all her child with a passion; she just didn't have the time.

Harry Potter was the oldest; he was a headstrong boy who hated his father with a passion. He remembered his father very well. He remembered the bruises on his mother's arms, the yelling, and the smell of beer in the air all too well. He looked more like his mother then father. He had her light blue eyes, blond hair, and soft expression. Harry had basically raised James and his younger siblings. He had quite school only a few months before on his 16th birthday to take on a full time job as a waiter in one of the fancy restaurants in Diagon Alley, near where the family lived in this run-down apartment over a bar in Kocturne Alley. He was nineteen now but still lived with his family to helped out with the rent and babysitting.

Elizabeth was the second oldest. She was a second mother to all of them, even Harry mostly because she just had a motherly feel about her. She had wanted to be a healer when she was younger but had to quit school a sixteen like Harry to help support the family. However at seventeen she'd gotten a job as a healer's assistant at Saint Mango's and loved it.

Then came Jane who was only fifteen. She was a pretty good student and because as she had two older siblings and a mother who worked full time everyone was pressuring her to at least 

graduate from secondary school. She worked part time in _**Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions**_ as a seamstress. She was short with dark brown hair and warm blue eyes and was one of the best dancers James knew. It was she who had taught him how to dance.

Thomas, or Tom, was 13; he was tall and was the most like his father of all James's siblings. He was pretty intelligent but he had a very strong pride and love of politics, which sometimes got him into trouble. He did not have a job and instead spent all his time studying or going to pubs.

Next was James, who at eleven was the spitting image of his father, to his utter despair. He was medium height, with jet-black hair, pale complexion, and the same carefree smile. He didn't know how he felt about his father. He had only been three or four when he died and couldn't even remember him. Yet, there was something about him that made James hesitate before regarding him as a deadbeat. He had only one picture of his father. It was faded and scratched but he kept hidden under his bed with all his other important things for some reason which he knew he could never explain to anyone. In it his father was standing in front of his old school, Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. He had jet black eyes, gray eyes, and a smile that was full of life. Even though his family had been pretty poor, he had been able to get a scholarship to Hogwarts. It was James's dream to get a scholarship there too and be able to get a real education. That was very unlikely however, only the best and the richest went to Hogwarts and only the really smart people got scholarships. If they went by James's performance in school there was no way he would get one of those precious spots. But despite what his school records said James was really smart he just didn't apply himself to school because the overcrowded, inter-city public school he went taught things that were way to easy for him. Also James had this idea that if people knew he had "book smarts" they would think he was a rebel like his father so he kept it quiet about it. But his family had grown to expect James to consistently have a book in his hands whenever he wasn't working. Where he got all these books from no one seemed to know, he would just appear almost every day with a new one. Magical creatures, history, the ancient Greeks, Shakespeare, magical law, muggle novels, anything and everything seemed to interest James. His family just shook their heads and muttered about how he was "just like the old man."

However unlike his father James had other interest. He had loved pranks that could get him in horrible trouble and a joy for music only matched by Jane. He was frequently caught seeking off to danced clubs with his older sister. He also worked part time at Flourish and Blotts stacking and dusting books. He actually liked the job because when the owner wasn't looking he could sneak glimpse in the different books and he got to meet all the famous authors who came to do signings in the shop. Sometimes though, when he was just so frustrated with his life, he did wish that he could have been born to a different family, one which would let him do his homework instead of working but that was only for a moment. James knew he was very lucky in spite of everything; he had a family who would do anything for him and that was special.

The last member of the family was Sarah, was everyone's favorite. She was only eight years old, still too young to truly understand what the world was really like, but it was this fact that made her so carefree. She had long soft brown hair that was always tied back in two braded pig tails, 

which Jane did for her each morning. She had freckles all over her button of a noise and sparkling blue eyes. Even though James knew he was spoiling her, he couldn't help bringing her sweets every time he had a little extra money. He just couldn't resist the little imp. That's why he wasn't really mad that day when Sarah woke him, by tickling.

"Sarah," James chocked out between laughs, pushing her away. Sarah was giggling and James's heart melted at the sight of her.

"Sorry Jamie," she giggled. Sarah was the only person allowed to call him Jamie without suffering physically pain.

"Aw, come here," he said, holding his arms out for Sarah who ran into his hug.

"James, Sarah, get in 'ere," their mother called from the other room. Their little apartment had three rooms, one for the boys to sleep, one for the girls and their mother, and a kitchen/dining room. The rest of the family was crowded around the table in the kitchen eating; James and Sarah went to join them. It was Saturday so James was going to visit his 'friend' before work, though none of his family knew that.

"Will you guys all be here tonight?" Harry asked, "I'm going to bring Ginger over to meet you."

Following this was a great amount of teasing on Harry's part and promises to be home sharply at seven that night.

"Can someone watch Sarah for me?" James asked as today was his day. "I've got to go see someone."

"Aw, but we were going to play pretend," Sarah wined, that was her favorite game.

"I'm sorry baby. I'll play with you tomorrow, okay?" James told her, feeling a little guilty.

"Okay," Sarah told him, still pouting a little.

"I'll stay with you," Jane told her, "I've got today's shift off today anyway."

This made Sarah grin and run off to grab her rag doll which Jane had made for her.

"Well, I'm off," Harry announced, "see ya."

"Wait a sec, I'll go with you," their mother said, following Harry out the door, "you lot be good."

James took the last bit of his toast and went into the other room to pull on a shirt. It was a little cramp in the room and because three boys shared it, it was a complete mess. James shifted 

though the pills of cloths before he found a black shirt that he thought was his and pulled it on along with some jeans and a black robe.

In the kitchen Jane and Sarah had started playing with the rag dolls and hardly noticed him leaving. They both gave him hugs, then went right back to their game, which made James feel better about abandoning his little sister. Out the house he went, into the hot August day.

He walked a few blocks till he got to Diagon Alley. His friend lived in an apartment above one of the shops there. James had met him one day about three years ago when he was reading in front of one of the shops below the man's house. His friend had come up to him and asked about the book and they had talked for many hours. He lent James some books and from then on they had been friends. The man was very wealthy and well know and went by the name Albus Dumbledore.

"Morning," James called as he pulled open the door. Albus was sitting at the table in the middle of the room and James went to fall into one of the stuffy armchairs next to him.

"Good morning James, how was your week?" Albus asked, looking down at him.

"Oh, the usual. I finished the three books you gave me. I was wondering if you had any on Russian history, I realized when I was reading 'History of Dragon in Europe' that I knew nothing about Russia."

"Aw, I'm sure I can find something that would interest you but first I wanted to ask you something James."

"Shot," James said, sitting up. Usually they only talked about books; he wondered what Albus was going to say.

"I received a letter from the Ministry today, it seems the old headmaster of Hogwarts retired and they want me to be the new headmaster."

"Congratulations," James exclaimed, though his voice was oddly hollow. Albus had taken a year off teaching but James had always known he would go back one day.

"That's not all, as you are now eleven, I am in the perfect situation to get you a scholarship to Hogwarts this year," there was a twinkle in Dumbledore's blue eyes as he said this.

James was speechless, his dreams had come true, yet as quickly as they had risen his hopes fell again.

"Thank you, I would really love to go," James said, "but I can't, my family, they need me I couldn't leave them."

"James," Albus said, seriously, "I would like you to think about this very careful. You will never get this opportunity again; this is the best education you can hope to get. You have four older siblings, I'm sure you're family can survive without you. You are a very intelligent young man, I would hate for you to not be able up to live to your full potential. Don't give me an answer right now, think about it, and tell your family. Then come back tomorrow and tell me your decision."

"Okay," James said his mind full of thoughts.

"Good, now let's see if we can find any books on Russia for you," Albus said, his eyes still having that twinkle in them that James could never quite read.

A half an hour later James left Albus's apartment thinking hard. He had to go to his shift at the bookstore, so he had no time to tell anyone about the scholarship. He figured tonight would be a great time to tell them, as they would all be there to meet Ginger.

"You're late," Mr. Thomas snapped as he entered.

"Sorry," James muttered, pulling on his uniform.

"Well, go stack these books," Mr. Thomas said, pushing a stack of books at him. In the background, James heard the bell over the door ring as a very pretty girl about his age, and an older man, entered the store. He was in the middle of one row, putting one of the books on a shelf, when the girl, carrying a load of books, knocked into him. Books went everywhere as they both feel to the floor. James scrambled to help her collected the books and stand up.

For a moment their eyes meet, it was like an electric shock went through him, then it was over. He looked up and her face looked familiar but then she was gone and he sat there staring at the place where she had been. The older man, who had come in with her, went up to the counter to buy the books and they left the shop.

"You idiot, do you know who that was?" Mr. Thomas yelled at him, when James remained silent her continued. "That was the princess Lily you just knocked over, you complete idiot."

James froze; he had knocked over a princess he was in serious trouble now. Mr. Thomas yelled at him for another five minutes before sending him to the backroom to dust, saying he would be docking James's pay for this.

Cursing himself James did as he was told. In the quite of the backroom he tried to clear his mind. That girl, the princess, had seemed so normal it was hard to believe and when their eyes had met… But more importantly how was he going to tell his family about Hogwarts? In the back of his mind he wondered if princesses went to Hogwarts.

That night, his mother cooked a huge dinner for the family. She had gotten the night off to meet Ginger and determined to make a good impression had cleaned the whole house and 

made her children wear their best clothes. James was distant, thinking of the moment when he would drop the bombshell on his family. At five minutes till seven they heard footfalls on the stairs and the door opened. Harry came in with a very pretty brunette in a green summer dress. She smiled at them, which made her face light up.

"Hey everyone, err… this is Ginger Smith."

"Hello," Ginger said warmly.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Margaret said, coming over to hug her. "Well, now that we're all here, let's eat."

They all sat around the wooden table and loaded their plates. Margaret had made a whole chicken, some potatoes, vegetables (which no one touched), and cherry pie for desert. They talked about Ginger's life; she was a waiter at the same restaurant as Harry, her family which was her and her three sisters. Her mother had died when she was fifteen and she never knew he father. Her older sister, Mary had raised her ever since.

"Well, I've been waiting for a good moment to do this," Harry said, standing up and facing his family. "Tonight I asked Ginger to marry me and she said 'yes.'"

There was a stunned silence for a moment, and then Margaret screamed with happiness and went to hug Ginger. Everyone else started congratulating the two and clapping them on the back. James gave his brother a big hug smiling. Finally everything had died down and this time James stood up.

"Err… I have some great news too but I guess I wasn't quick enough," he started, making everyone laugh and look at him in curiosity. "I found out today that I got one of the scholarships to Hogwarts for this fall."

He got the same reaction as Harry, stunned silence, then a burst of happiness. His mother still crying from the last bit of news started again hugging him and telling him how much she would miss 'her baby.'

"Well, what are we waiting for," Elizabeth said, after everyone had calmed down again, "let's go celebrate."

Everyone agreed and they made their way downstairs and across the street to a club called the _'La Rosa de Negro,' _(or _The Black Rose_). The owner knew them well and let them in for free after hearing Harry and James's news. It was a Spanish-African club that many on this side of town went to. The dance floor was crowded with couples and families. Music blared from the speakers as James's family moved onto the center of the dance floor.

James grabbed a short Spanish girl he knew and started dancing. As they moved their bodies blending together to the beat of the music.

_Muevele, muevele  
Bailar, yo quiero baila lalalalalalala bailar,  
Mueve las nalgas, shake your ass girl.  
A la musica, we'll be dancing, dancing, dancing a bit Havana.  
And we gon shake it, shake it, shake it, don shake it._

_Hips start shakin' and movin' all around  
Get them hips shakin' around._

His hand slide down the girl's body till it rested right below her back. He pressed up against her as they moved to the rhythm, he dipped her and she came back up sweating.

_I speak English and you speak Spanish,_

_And music is the only thing that we be understanding._

Next to him Jane, Sarah, and Elizabeth had formed a circle and were dancing with two black boys. They waved in and out, pressing their bodies to each other, Sarah doing an odd sort of up and down jig.

_Me and my girl dance with so much passion,  
It looks like we having sex but we just dancing,_

_Dirty sex dancing with our clothes on,  
If you are offended blood we mean no harm._

Harry and Ginger were dancing on his other side. Their bodies working together in the heat of the moment, staring into each other's eyes, hypnotized. He could tell they were in love.

_I just wanna be dancing...dirty, dirty, dirty dancing._

His mother had picked up a tall English man, they were spinning and weaving their way throughout the room, showing a lot more energy then he though his mother had. He pressed in on his partner, dipping and turning to the rhythm.

_That's how we dance_

The song faded away and as James said goodbye to his partner he found himself thinking sadly that they probably didn't dance like this at Hogwarts.

The next day, James went back to Albus's apartment.

"I'll do it," he said, pushing open the door.

"Good," Albus exclaimed looking up, "then we've got a lot to do."

'A lot to do' meant shopping. First they went to _Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions_ where James introduced Albus to Jane while she fitted him for his school uniform, grinning the whole time. Next was the bookstore where James worked, where along with parching the necessary books James told the manager that he would be quitting his job to go to school. The manager was a little skeptical as he never thought James was all that interested in learning but when James introduced Albus to him he wished James good luck. Next they got potions, quills, a trunk, and a snowy owl (so James could write to his family.)

Finally it was their last stop, '_Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands Since 382BC.'_

"I will wait out here for you," Albus told him, "I understand that this is a very personal thing. Good luck."

So James entered allow, a tiny bell echoing in the empty shop as he pushed open the door.

"Good day," a mystical voice said from behind him, making him jump.

"Morning," James said, looking up to find a very creepy man with moonlike eyes peering down at him, "I err… need a wand."

The man, who James assumed was Mr. Ollivander, didn't respond, but went to the back and pulled out a wand.

"I remember your father, Mr. Potter," he said softly, holding a long rectangular box. "I sold him his first wand, mahogany, 12 inches, dragon heart-string. I made this wand for him before he died and I have kept it ever since hoping one day one of his children would fit it. It seems none of your siblings have bought wands from me so I have not yet been able to find it a home."

"Well, you're a little expensive," James muttered.

"Aw, that's the problem, but you are here, so…" he handed the wand to James. "It is mahogany, 11 inches, pliable and good for Transfiguration."

James took the wand and felt a wonderful warmth in his hand and then a burst of golden bubbles came out of the tip of the wand.

"I thought so, Mr. Potter now be sure to use that wand for good things," Ollivander told him thoughtfully. James wanted to say something but bit his tongue and told Ollivander to bill the school as Albus had instructed him to.

Albus was waiting for him outside and after thanking him so much; James said his goodbyes and departed. Off to find his friends and say goodbye to them, if they would believe him that is.

"James my man," a black boy exclaimed as James entered the alley where his friends were hanging out. He had spent the last fifteen minutes searching through their usually haunts, this was his last stop and he had been getting worried.

"Hey Dean, why aren't you over at the club?" James asked, taking a seat next to Dean and another black boy named George, across from a Spanish boy, Jose, and an English boy named John.

"The manager threw us out cause we weren't buying anything. Where have you been," Jose asked.

"I was… shopping," James admitted, making his friends laugh, "no really, school shopping, I got a wand and everything."

"But you don't need a wand till next year at Merlin's," George told him as though James was losing his mind. He was talking about the local magical school, Merlin's Academy, which James and everyone he knew went. It was for ages six to whenever you drop out (or for the lucky few, passed your exams.) The only started magically studies when you were 12, the rest of the time you learned muggle subjects or magical history and theory. It was a good school for what it was, being in the poorer area and with overcrowding and everything and James had a lot of friends there but it was nothing compared to the education he would get at Hogwarts.

"I knew you don't start magic till next year at Merlin's, do I look stupid or something," James said punching George, "but I'm not going to Merlin's next year." This caught everyone's attention.

"You're too young to drop out," John complained, "even if you are horrible in school."

"I'm not horrible, I just don't have any time to study and I'm not dropping out," James took a deep breath and then said, "I got a scholarship to Hogwarts."

It took a while to explain to his friends how he had gotten his scholarship and even then James didn't think they really believed him. It wasn't till he showed them the letter Dumbeldore had given him and his Hogwarts uniform that they finally gave in. Then they started congratulation and went to treat him to drinks.

The rest of the week pasted too fast for James's liking. It seemed as though his time with his family was slipping away before him. He had nine days left, enough time to play with Sarah, seven days, still more time to spend with his mother, five days, didn't he need to have a long talk with Harry or something, three days, better start packing, one day, where'd my uniform go 

in this mess? Then it was the night before he was to leave, around him his family cried and told him how much they would miss him and how he had to come home for Christmas.

"You show them," his mother said, "you show them that you don't have to be high class to do any of it. You show them you're as good as any of those kids."

"I'm sure they wouldn't think that way ma," James reassured her.

"I don't know bro," Harry said, taking a drag on his cigarette, "I serve these people all the time up at the restaurant. They're all the same acting polite but never really caring about anyone but themselves. They don't spare more than a glance at any of our kind."

"Thanks for the encouragement," James said weakly, feeling a little nervous now.

"I'm just saying the truth you're there to get an education. You remember that and don't start mixing with any of those highborn girls it'll only get you in trouble. They many seem friendly, but they're only after one thing."

"What?"

"We'll tell you when you're older," Elizabeth said pointy at Harry.

"He needs to know this Eliz, before he gets himself into anything," Harry said seriously, looking seriously at James. "Now listen to me, any girl you meet up there, any girl not on scholarship I mean, will only want to use you. She'll want a little fun, than she'll drop you just as fast. She wouldn't want a real relationship or anything, just a night of fun, or a way to get back at her parents for something. It's best for everyone if you stay away from that kind of girl."

James was very confused now, but didn't say anything.

"Now Harry, I'm sure he wouldn't need to worry about anything like that for a few years at least. He's eleven, for God's sake. Now this is supposes to be a happy night, so let's start celebrating," Margate said, ending the discussion.

Jane turned on some music and soon they were all up dancing again. As James moved to the beat, he tried to ignore the sinking feeling in his stomach. Even though no one said it, James realized that after tomorrow his life would change forever. He was going to make something of himself, and however he wanted to deny it, he was going to have to leave his family behind to do that...


	3. Princess Lily Goes to Hogwarts

Chapter Three:

**Princess Lily Goes to Hogwarts**

Lily woke up bright and early on September 1st even though she had barely slept two hours the night before. She took a bath and dressed, hardly realizing what she was doing. One of the house elves had already packed her trunk and laid out one of her new Hogwarts uniforms for her. Lily ran her fingers down the place where her house crest would appear later that night and shivered.

It was still hours before she needed to leave but Lily couldn't seem to sit still. She finished getting ready, ate a very small breakfast, then went down to say goodbye to Molly and Edward Thomas. Molly cried a lot and Edwards seemed oddly pale for Lily's liking. Far too soon for Lily' liking it came time to say her farewells to her family. It was oddly formal, compared to her farewell from the Thomas's but Lily tried to tell herself that this was just how her parents were. Her mother gave her a stiff hug and told her she expected a very long report on what she was learning in her classes by the weekend. Her father shock her hand, then started in on a lecture about how she should apply herself to her studies because "the future of our country is in your hands. You will one day inherit my throne and you must be ready to take it when that day comes."

Lily nodded and said "yes, sir" while Petunia scowled. When her turn came she simply gave Lily an impersonal hug that lasted about ten seconds.

"I'll miss all of you so much!" Lily exclaimed, starting to cry again.

"Now Lily, you know when you cry your face starts to puff. Is that how you want your classmates to first see you with a puffy face?" Queen Katherine told her daughter sternly, though her voice wavered a bit.

"No mother," Lily said, trying to stop crying. It took her a few minutes before her face was back to usual and her mother said she was fit to go.

"Make us proud," King Henry called out as he watched his daughter climb into the back seat of the limousine that would take her to Kings Cross. Lily had only been in a limo a couple of times; usually she would take a portkey or use floo powder. However as Kings Cross was a muggle station they had to arrive in a none-magical way.

"We're here Miss," the diver said, pulling in front of the large train station.

Lily looked out the wind to see the large brink building that was Kings Cross station and for some reason her stomach contracted a little at the sight of it. The driver stopped the car and went to open the door for her. Then he got her bags and pushed them behind her as she walked into the station. They reached the barrier between Platforms 9 and 10 which served as 

a way onto the platform. The driver showed her how to get onto the platform, which included running straight at a seemingly brick wall (who would think of that?) Anyway, Lily got onto the platform and was left alone as the driver went to put her trunk in a compartment.

"Why, hello princess," a voice said from behind her, and Lily turned to see a grinning Sirius Black standing there.

"Sirius what are you doing here?" Lily asked, rather stupidly.

"Well I am starting Hogwarts this year, so unless I want to walk to school I have to be here," Sirius said, very seriously.

"Oh, I forgot. Well do you want to find a compartment?" Lily stumbled.

"I'd love to m'lady, only you have been forbidden from association with me," Sirius said playfully, but still Lily blushed.

"Oh, well, I'm sure they didn't mean…" Lily trailed away, trying to think of something to say.

"I'll tell you a secret," Sirius whispered, changing subjects at the speed of light, "I'm going to be a Gryffindor and then you'll be able to talk to me."

"But-" Lily said stunned ever Black since like forever had been a Slytherin. "What about your family?"

"That's why I'm doing it m'lady, think of the looks on their faces." This made Lily giggle, indeed Mr. and Mrs. Black were likely to faint if their precious son become a nasty Gryffindor.

"Well princess this has been fun but I see your fan club is approaching so I will bid you farewell" and with that Sirius Black disappeared into the crowd.

Lily turned to see Amelia Bones and Mafabla (Mia) Hopkirk coming her way. It would be nice to know someone at Hogwarts Lily though as she said hello to the two and they went off in search of a compartment.

An hour later, Lily decided it wouldn't have mattered if she hadn't found the two girls for it seemed everyone on the train know who she was and had decided to come to her compartment to greet her. Though she recognized almost all the names most of the other students had never meet royalty before. They spent so much time scrapping and bowing to her that Lily had to try hard to keep from giggling.

"Well, hopefully that's the last of them," Mia said, three hours into the train ride, closing the door for what seemed the thousandth's time.

"Yes, you would think they had never met a princess before," Lily sighed.

"Well, they haven't," Amelia told her, popping a chocolate frog into her mouth that one of the older students had left as a gift for Lily.

"Oh right," Lily said, giggling and picking up a frog too. It was so nice having people her age around. "And you two were really good are you sure the whole me-being-famous-thing doesn't bother you?"

"No of course not," Mia exclaimed, also picking up a frog, "I mean, you can't help being royalty right? So why should we treat you differently because of it?"

"Oh good," Lily exclaimed, "because assuming we all get in Gryffindor it would be so annoying to have to spend seven years with people who worshiped me."

"Are you sure," Amelia teased, "because being worshipped has perks? I mean these frogs are good."

"Amelia!" Lily exclaimed, tossing a frog at her.

To the great relief of all three girls no more annoying suck ups came into the compartment after that. They spent most of the ride comparing notes about what they knew about Hogwarts, especially about how you were sorted.

"I heard you had to perform magic."

"No, you have to battle a dark wizard."

"I hear they read your mind."

And the rest of the ride eating tons of candy and playing Gobstones. Finally the windows outside darkened and the three girls pulled on their crisp, new robes. A bombing voice announced they would be arriving in five minutes and to leave their luggage on the train, as it would be sent to their rooms later.

Lily was starting to get very nervous, what if she got there and they found out she was a squib like Petunia and was sent home?

When the train stopped they stepped out into the dark night with the rest of the students. A voice was bellowing "First years, first years over here," so they walked in that direction. Lily saw the voice was coming from Hagrid the loveable half-giant she had heard her parents talking about from their time at Hogwarts.

Hagrid led them to a fleet of small boats telling them it was "fou' to a boat."

Lily glanced up at Hogwart's castle. It looked a lot like her family's castle if not a little bit bigger and very homely for a stone building.

A tall blond girl named "Penelope Jones" joined Lily, Mia, and Amelia in their boat. She was nice though see kept blushing whenever Lily looked at her. In a boat in front of them Sirius was sitting with three other boys it was too dark to make out for sure but one of them seemed familiar. Just then there was a splashing sound as Sirius's boat tipped over. Lily watched as the giant squid caught and dumped the four boys back on board.

"I wonder what happened to them?" Lily asked the three others, who just shrugged.

When the boat landed Lily made her way over to Sirius who was staring murderously at the black haired boy who had been in his boat.

"What happened to you?" She asked, pointing at his wet cloths.

"That-that- boy tipped the boat," Sirius spluttered too angry to make a proper sentence.

"Why?" Lily asked but before Sirius could answer the huge oak front door was opened by a very stern looking witch named Professor McGonagall. She led them though a huge entrance hall, much like the one back home. Off to the right was a large dining hall filled with students. Lily could only get a glimpse of it as McGonagall let them into a small chamber off to the side.

She then proceeded to explain about the four houses and life at Hogwarts. Lily didn't listen as she already knew this speech her mother had told it to her almost word for word the night before. Instead she looked around the chamber at her fellow first years. In the corner she saw, to her surprise, the boy she had bumped into in the bookstore. She realized this must have been the boy who had tipped the boat Sirius was riding in. She wondered what he was doing here; he wasn't nobility, or rich, judging from his robes.

McGonagall had finished her speech and left.

"Nervous?" Sirius asked, coming to stand behind her.

"No," Lily lied, "do you know how they sort us?"

"Yes," Sirius told her, "my father told me but I'm not telling m'lady it's a secret."

"Oh, you're just saying that because you don't know," Lily insisted, as Mia giggled at how handsome Sirius was.

"If you think so," Sirius said playful then went to stand next to his cousin Bellatrix in the corner.

"I hope he's in Gryffindor," Mia giggled.

"He wouldn't be, he's a Black they're pure Slytherins," Lily told her sharply, a little annoyed that Mia was looking at Sirius in that was. She left out that Sirius had told _her _he wanted to be in Gryffindor.

Just then McGonagall came back to lead them into the hall.

"Now form a single file line," she was telling them, "and follow me."

Felling very nervous Lily followed her out of the room trying to keep her head up and walk gracefully like her mother had taught her. They walked though a pair of double doors into the Great Hall. Lily was shocked for a moment at the strangeness and splendor of the place. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led the first years up here, so they came to a halt in a line facing the other students with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students the ghosts shone misty silver. Lily looked upwards to avoid the stares of the older students and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars. She remembered her mother telling her it was enchanted to look like the sky outside. It was hard to believe there was a ceiling at all and that the Great Hall didn't simply open onto the heavens.

Lily looked down to see Professor McGonagall silently placing a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. It was so dirty and patched that Lily knew her mother would have a fit if she saw it.

Lily wondered what they would have to do with it until she saw it twitch and knew it must be enchanted too. The hall fell silent and a rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth and the hat began to sing:

"_Once upon a time,  
There lived two witches and two wizards,  
Who shared a commend goal._

_To educate young sorceress,  
To teach them all they knew._

_Yet they did fight on one point  
How to choice the worthy ones?  
And which ones to leave at home.  
It was Gryffindor that did declared,  
Lets make four houses.  
And pick the pupils that we like,  
Then everyone can come.  
_

_So Hogwarts they did found,  
And four houses they did make.  
One for Gryffindor,  
Who picked the braves at heart.  
Those daring fellows,  
Who would risk everything,  
To save the ones they loved.  
_

_Another was for Slytherin,  
Who picked the slyest of them all._

_Those sneaky people,_

_Who know how to get what they want._

_The next was for wise Ravenclaw,  
Who picked the ones who valid learning.  
Those intelligent people,  
Who know how to use facts,  
The get their means.  
_

_The last was fair Hufflepuff,  
Who knew all people were equal,  
Even thought they had different values at heart.  
When she lived,_

_She took the ones the others past up._

_But now she is gone,  
And I pick those who I think,  
Value equality and working for what you get._

_  
So try me on,  
And I'll decide were you ought to be…"_

Lily didn't know whether to laugh or clap but looking around she decided on the latter. Once the applauses had died down Professor McGonagall came forward and told the first years; "When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted." Then she started to read off names.

"Bones, Amelia," she read, and Amelia squeaked. Muttering something about how horrible it was to have your last names start with 'B' she squeezed Lily's hand and shaking slightly walked forward and put the hat on her head. After a moment to Lily's great relief the hat shouted "GRYFFINDOR."

"Black, Bellatrix," was called. Bellatrix was a pretty dark haired girl who gave a smug smile as the hat shouted "SLYTHERIN" barely seconds after touching her head. She pranced off to sit at the green and sliver table who had given her a standing ovation.

"Black, Sirius," McGonagall called. Winking at her Sirius walked forward and placed the hat on his head. Even with the dirty thing falling over his face Lily couldn't help but notice that he was extremely handsome. The hat took about five minutes to decide with Sirius, until finally it called, "GRYFFINDOR," into the shocked crowd. The hall erupted in whispers and some clapping from the Gryffindor table. Giving Lily another cheeky wink Sirius ambled off to join the red and gold table. Lily couldn't help noticing how some of the people over at the green and silver table looked about ready to curse Sirius and how some of his classmates were shooting him suspects looks as he took a place at the very end of the table.

"Evans, Her Royal Highness Princess Lily," was called, making a few people laugh at the odd argument of her name and others to stand on their seats to gawk at her. Nervously but determined to keep her cool Lily glided up to the stood and gently placed the sorting hat on her head.

"_Princess are you?" _A sly voice said in her head.

"_Err… yes, you talk?" _Lily though trying not to picture how ridicules this was; talking to a hat.

"_Naturally, but let's get on with it shall we. Awe, you're a difficult one to place. Very headstrong, a determination to prove yourself I see. Slytherin would do you well."_

"_Oh, please not Sl-" _Lily started but was cut off.

"No, I would not put you there. You are too honest and not nearly as ambitions as you should be to fit in with them. Hufflepuff maybe or Ravenclaw you are certainly smart enough. Yet, I think you will do well in GRFFINDOR!"

The hat shouted this last word to the entire hall and the table on the far left with red and gold banner over it exploded in cheers. Shaking slightly from sheer relief Lily went to sit next to Amelia and a few sets away from Sirius who was still alone at the end of the table. (Apparently no one had wanted to sit next to the 'Black' as he was supposed to be an evil Slytherin.) Sirius smiled at her as she took her seat and she waved back making sure the other Gryffindors saw she was being friendly to Sirius.

"Hopkirk, Mafalda" was called, and after a few seconds she also became a "GRYFFINDOR." Smiling widely she came to sit next to Lily, who gave her a big huge so relieved that she wasn't separated from her first two friends.

"Jones, Penelope," was called and the blond girl Lily had shared a boat with walked nervously forward to put the hat on. A few moments later it yelled, "GRYFFINDOR!" Smiling slightly Penelope came to sit next to Amelia at the end of the table with the rest of the first years.

"Lupin, Remus," took forever to become a "GRYFFINDOR." He pulled off the hat smiling widely and seeming not to notice the reduced applause and murmurs of "scholarship" and "white trash" around him as he went to seat at the end of the Gryffindor table with a bunch of older children in shabby robes who were cheering him loudly. This confused Lily a little for she had never heard of Hogwarts giving scholarships but before she could say anything the next student was called.

"Peasegood, Arnold," became a "GRYFFINDOR."

"Pettigrew, Peter," was called, (the blond boy Lily had met at her parent's ball.) To Lily's great annoyance he became a "GRYFFINDOR" moments later. She sighed; well he wasn't too bad just a bit of a stuck up always trying to get in good with the powerful people, like her.

"Potter, James."

The skinny black haired boy Lily had bumped into in the bookstore walked forward confidently and put on the hat. It took only about a minute before the hat shouted "GRYFFINDOR!" Lily noticed that the clapping for James seemed to be less than for the other new Gryffindors (except for Remus and Sirius) and next to her she heard a boy mutter, "great another scholarship." Lily felt a sudden bang of pity for the boy, it must be hard to come to a school full of people so different from yourself but then she remembered. This boy was nothing, white trash as that kid had said, why was she even bothering thinking about him? So she turned her attention back to the sorting in time to hear "Perks, Amanda," being called.

The sorting was almost over now, only a brown haired boy, named "Rosier, Evan" who became a "SLYTHERIN." A grassy haired kid named "Snape," who Lily vaguely registered was a scholarship student who became a Slytherin and then "Warrington, Jenny," who became a "GRYFFINDOR" and the sorting was over.

Albus Dumbledore got to his feet. Lily had meet him a couple times before when he came to the castle to meet with her father.

"Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts or if you are a first year Welcome!" He told them his eyes twinkling "Before we begin our banquet I would like to say a few words: Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titleandus."

Lily giggled softly, that was the sort of thing Dumbledore always said. Mia looked puzzled so Lily whispered, "don't worry he's always like that. Could you pass the potatoes." For when the Headmaster had finished his 'few words' the food had appeared.

Lily was really hungry after eating almost nothing that day so she filled her plate with all her favorite foods. One thing to be said for Hogwarts was that they had really good food.

"Amelia, do you know anything about those scholarship students?" Lily asked, well helping herself to some turkey. She was looking down at the group of people she had seen early who were all dressed in second hand robes. Amelia shook her head but a sixth year Lily didn't know answered instead.

"I know about them, princess," he said as Lily cringed at her title. "There are about two or three in every year. The headmasters use them as charity cases to make the school look good. They're all here because they're supposedly really good students. Almost all the prefects and the Head boy and girl are scholarship students. But they're really just all white trash and some token minorities. You should stay clear of them they're bad news."

"Why?" Lily asked curiously, "do they get in a lot of trouble or something?"

"Well no," the fifth year said and then added, "but they're all from Knockturn alley and the bad neighborhoods. They must all be full of dark magic to live there. Besides they're always cussing and dancing to, horrible music, and their clothes are so… tight."

"Oh," Lily said, understanding. They were the kind of people who worked for their money. Lily shivered at the thought and made a mental note to stay clear of them in future.

After that she spent the rest of the feast talking with the other first years (well except for the scholarship students who were sitting at the other end of the table.) She found she really liked Gideon Prewett who she had met at her parent's ball. There was another first year girl named Amanda Perks who was really nice but didn't have much in the way of brains. She found Jenny Warrington very stuck up though; her family was really wealthy but not nobility. However she acted as if she were the princess at the table. She kept complaining about everything but she was extremely pretty so the boys at least were ready to put up with her.

Too soon Dumbledore stood up again to give his start-of-term speech.

"Now that we are all feed and watered," he started, "I have a few start of term notices to give out. First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden. Madam Pincer, our librarian, would like me to remind you that the restricted section is restricted to anyone who does not have a signed note from a teacher. Also, this year a Whomping Willow has been planted on the grounds. As this plant can be very dangerous to anyone who goes to near it I advise you all to stay clear of it. Anyone wishing to play Quidditch this year should contact their 

head of house and finally I would like to welcome to our staff Argus Filch who will be taking over as caretaker for Apollyon Pringle who has sadly passed away."

With that Dumbledore sat down. Lily noticed as the school got up that most students did not seem too upset that Pringle had died. Lily guessed that he had not been a very nice person but judging by this Filch he was no improvement.

"First years Gryffindors please follow me," a tall Spanish boy who had a Head Boy badge on his chest called over the crowd. Lily and her friends when to stand by him "Everyone here? Good, follow me, I'll show you to the common room."

It seemed like miles from the great hall to Gryffindor tower. They weaved in and out of corridors, though hidden passages behind dusty tapestries and up hundreds of staircases. The Head Boy, whose name turned out to be Jose DeNino, told them that everything at Hogwarts tended to change around most of the time. Lily who had experience with castles felt she would be lost in minutes. Meanwhile all the other first years looked a bit scared at the thought of a living in a castle.

Finally they came to a stop in front of a painting of a very fat lady in a pink silk dress.

"Password?" She asked in a bored voice.

"Carpe Diem," Jose told her, then added to the first years, "please remember the password cause if you forget it you'll be locked out."

The painting had swung open to reveal a round hole in the wall. They all scrambled though it and found themselves in the Gryffindor common room, a cozy, round room full of squashy armchairs.

Jose pointed the girls though one door to their dormitory and the boys though another. At the top of a spiral staircase Lily and her friends found their room at last. It was a cozy round room like the common room below with six four-posters hung with deep gold and velvet curtains. Their trunks had already been brought up.

Lily found hers was by the window, next to Mia and Amelia's. Suddenly feeling very tired after the long day, they all changed quietly into their pajamas and climbed into bed. Before dosing off into a dreamless sleep Lily decided she was going to like Hogwarts a lot.


	4. Hogwarts Get Another Scholarship Student

_Disclaimer: Almost everything belongs to the lovely J.K. Rowling.

* * *

_

Chapter Four:

**Hogwarts Gets Another Scholarship Student**

James woke up late on September 1st. He might not have woken up at all if Tom hadn't pored water on him.

"Hey, what'd you do that for," James exclaimed, sitting up, his face dripping and glared at his brother.

"Well as you were going to miss the train, I though you might want to wake up," Tom sneered. James knew it was jealousy, but Tom had been acting strange around James since he had gotten the scholarship. It had always been Tom's dream, like it had been James's, to follow in their father's footsteps and go to Hogwarts; it must have stung to see his brother get to live his dreams.

"Well, poke me next time, okay," James, said, trying to be understanding. He was very glad he had packed last night, as he rooted though his brother's cloths to find the muggle cloths he had put aside to wear to the train station, as Albus had told him to. However, his cloths were completely lost in the mountains of dirty laundry on the floor.

"Harry," James yelled, "can I borrow some of your cloths, I can't find the ones I didn't pack."

"Sure," Harry yelled from the other room, "try my black T-shirt, the others are all dirty."

"Thanks," James called, pulling out a black shirt from the pill and a pair of jeans. He dressed quickly, then tried to comb out his messy black hair, but it was useless, he would never get it to lie flat no matter what he did. He looked in the mirror and though he looked, at the very least, clean. His cloths were a little worn, and baggy because they were meant for Harry who was a bit taller then him. Yet, he didn't think he would really stick out, besides he would just change into his robes if he felt out of place.

"James, are ye ready yet," his mother called, "we're all ready to go."

Despite his protest, his entire family had wanted to go with him to Kings Cross to see him off. Deep down James didn't mind, he would be able to spend more time with them that way. So, taking a deep breath, James went into the other room.

"Finally," Tom exclaimed as he entered.

"Come on James," Margaret told him, "no time to eat, you're late. Eliz put something in your bag to eat on the train."

And with that she shooed them all out the door, Harry caring James's trunk and Eliz taking his owl. Harry had a friend who had lent him a car, which was waited for them on the other side of the Leaky Caldron. They all pilled in, Harry driving, as he was the only one who had ever been in a muggle car before. The trip passed to quickly for James's liking. His family spent the whole time joking around and playing their music very loudly. Margate had used her last paycheck to buy James a device, sort of like a muggle CD player, which would work within Hogwarts. It could be programmed to play any song he wanted, during the car ride this was passed around, and ever adding their favorites. James was a little horrified when Sarah put in tons of Disney songs, including her favorite 'A Whole New World,' which was in Aladdin, and 'Part of This World,' from the Little Mermaid. She even made James promise he would listen to them, "so you wouldn't forget me."

"I wonder who that belongs to," Jane exclaimed, stopping the discussions about music to point to a long black limo that had pulled out in front of Kings Cross. As Harry parked, James saw the red haired girl he had bumped into the older day leaving the limo, and knew immediately who it was.

"That's Princess Lily," James muttered, "she must be starting Hogwarts this year."

"Oh… rubbing shoulders with the royalty now," Jane exclaimed.

"I want to see the princess," Sarah interrupted her to exclaim, standing up on the car seat to stare after Lily.

"She's probably a huge snob," James muttered, as he watched the princess's retreating back. "Come on, I don't want to miss the train."

"Ahh… Jamie got a crash," Sarah giggled, sending the rest of his family into fits of giggles and massive teasing.

"Thanks guys," James complained, "I wouldn't see you till Christmas and all you can do is laugh at me."

"You're right," Eliz said, trying to stop giggling, "lets go."

After that, his family was pretty cool. Sarah only giggled once on the way to the station and only jumped up and down a couple times when she found out she would get to see James run though "a brick wall! How hip is that!"

"Its not a brick wall," James said knowledgably, "it's a spell, it's actually a portal-"

"Could you please wait till you get to the smart people before acting like a know-it-all?" Harry joked, making them all laugh, even James.

His mother pulled him into a crushing embrace, till he squawked out, "need---- air," and he could see she had started to cry when he pulled away. Harry also pulled him into brotherly hug, slapping him on the back and whispering in his ear, "you show'em all for me, okay bro." Elizabeth, and Jane cried as they pulled him into a large group hug, kissing him on the check. Tom, hugged him, though a little stiffer then he would have had. Sarah was the last, she was also crying heavily. James scooped her up and spun her around, whispering in his ear that he would be back soon and that she should start planning the games they would play together. Finally it was time to go, and squaring his shoulders, James pushed his trunk into a lumbering run. For a spit second, he though he would crash, then he was on the other side, looking up at a scarlet red steam engine.

James wondered around the platform, not recognizing anyone. He saw plenty of well-dressed students and their parents saying goodbye, and had began to feel very out of place in his baggy pants. He found an empty compartment and started to push and shove his trunk on board.

After about fifteen minutes, he had still not managed it. His feet were starting to ache from where he dropped his trunk on them to many times and he was starting to loose hope when a voice said from behind him, "do you need help?"

Standing there was a short Spanish girl, who looked only a few years older then James. She had long brown hair, an oval shaped face, and a wide smile.

"Yes, please!" He exclaimed and together they heaved his trunk onto the train. The girl stood there for a moment, seeming to want to tell him something, final she went about it.

"I have to admit that I came over because I figured you were a scholarship student," she nervously.

"I am," James admitted, a little sheepishly, making the girl grin.

"Oh good, I was afraid… well never mind. I'm Rosa Garai; I'm a second year Gryffindor. All the other scholarship students, sit in a compartments down at the end. We always explain everything to first years and stuff, so come on, I'll show you."

James was very grateful to say the least, he had begin to think he was the only one here not from a very rich family. So grabbing the bag full of his uniform and food, he followed Rosa down to the end of the compartment. When Rosa pushed open the door, James noticed that the room seemed to have been expanded to fit all sixteen of them.

"Hey everyone, I got the last one," Rosa announced taking a seat next to another Spanish girl who was wearing a blue tank top. As James slide into a seat next to a very pale, brown haired boy his age, he noticed with relief that everyone in here seemed to be dressed a lot like him. They all wore baggy cloths, the color black, and on the girls tighter and more reviling cloths then those girls out on the platform in their colorful summer dresses, would dare to wear. James allowed himself to relax as two people stood up, a girl and a boy. The girl was short, with wavy blond hair and wore a black tank top and jeans. The boy was Spanish and very handsome, with a natural grace about him.

"Welcome back everyone," the Spanish boy started by saying, "to all of you first years, I'm Jose DeNino, this year's Head Boy and this is Megan McCormack, your Head Girl."

"Shouldn't you guys be up with the prefects?" A black boy near the back asked.

"Well, yes," Megan admitted, "but the meeting doesn't start for a while and it's not like they'll start with out us."

"Especially since most of the prefects are here," Jose added, as a large majority of the kids clapped. "Which brings us to our first order of business, we have managed to get two more prefects this year, Ella Jones and Edward Abney."

Everyone clapped at this, as two of the older kids stood up and bowed, while Chinese boy in the corner, who looked their age, scowled at them.

"Also we have three new first years," Megan said, indicating James, the brown haired boy next to him, and a greasy haired boy in the corner. "Why don't you all introduce yourselves, starting with you."

She had pointed at James; so shrugging he stood up and said, "well I'm James Potter, call me Jamie and died," this made them all laugh. "I live near Diagon Alley with my mom and five siblings." Feeling he had nothing else to say, he sat down and the boy next to him stood and introduced himself.

"I'm Remus Lupin," he started, "I'm err… a half-blood and I live with both my parents in London." He said nervously, James assumed he wasn't a very good public speaker.

"Severus Snape," the greasy haired boy in the corner said simply and left it at that. He had an arrogant air around him that James found annoying.

"So the rest of us will introduce ourselves later," Jose said, "but for the time we have now, lets go over some basic rules. As everyone knows, us scholarship students aren't very liked, to put it lightly, amongst the regular students. You first years should realize that almost all of your fellow students will have been born into a noble family and grown up with everything they could dream of. They have been taught to hate people like us, the working class, but you should not take it personally, that's just how they were raised. Most of them are nice people if you get to know them." At this a few people snorted, but Jose plowed on without noticing. "I would however advise you to stick close to us for the most part, as some of the, less friendly students will cause trouble for you. We do not tolerate any prejudice between the houses, no matter what house you get into, you will always have friends here, we must stick together."

This made James feel a lot better, to know that he wouldn't be completely alone in this alien school.

"Most of the older students are prefects or Head boy and girl," Megan continued. "So if you have any problems just come to us, we have the authority to stop any major problems. Sadly however, you will have to learn to get use to some things," this whole part confused James, but he storied it away for the future.

"You have to have good marks," Jose added, "or they'll take away your scholarship. That goes for if your caught cheating or something like that, most of the governors would love to have a reason to chuck us all out."

"To true," one of the older girls exclaimed, "don't remember to tell them about the room."

"I was getting there Ella," Megan said annoyed. "There's this room, we'll show you were, where we all go to study and hang out. Jose found it in his first year, before that we had to meet in the library and the regular students were always hassling us. Now we have a place to play our music and were we can do our homework without worrying about someone messing it up. Just, never tell regular students about it, without first having all of us agree on the person. Only about five people apart from us know about it, and we'd like to keep it that way. Err… dose anyone have anything else to add?"

It seemed no one did, so after assuring them they would be back soon Jose and Megan, along with the other prefects left.

"So what kinds of music do you guys like?" Rosa asked as soon as the prefects had left. James pulled out his new CD player and showed it around. Luckily it had a speaker, so they were able to play music for everyone to hear. It seemed almost everyone there loved his kind of music, so before long they had turned the speakers up loud and were singing to the music. James was actually having a good time, that was till the door opened.

"Hey look it's the white trash," cried a very pretty blond girl in Gryffindor robes. The four other girls with her laughed. "So I see they didn't throw the whole lot of you in Askaban yet, though with that music I don't see why they haven't. Come on girls, we have better things to do then hang around here, I dare say their stink might rub off on us."

"Don't mind them," Peter Li said. He was the only fifth year or older not a prefect, because there were three fifth years scholarships in his year. Trying to act as though he hadn't noticed James turned the music up a bit. The mood however had dampened, and there was no recovering.

James was sort of use to being looked down upon from his work at the bookstore. Yet, he had never before had someone so clearly disrespect him to his face before with out even knowing him. For an eleven year old, even one as mature as James, this was a little disconcerting.

By the time the lunch troll came around, the others were back. Not that any of them had enough money to buy any of the delicious treats the pump women pushing the trolley was selling. Kids ran up and down in the aisles, yelling and screaming. Once a brown haired Ravenclaw fourth year named Kristen came in to say hello to her boyfriend Jack Gold (also a Ravenclaw fourth year.) They ended up leaving together and Jack didn't come back for a very long time, Jose explained to James when he asked that Kristen was one of the few preps (as the scholarship students called the regular students) who was cool enough to know about the 'room.'

James spent most of the ride listing to music and getting to know the others. He found that Remus Lupin was really cool, once you got to know him and he got over being shy. They ended up getting into a whole argument about which Quidditch team, the Wigtown Wanderers or the Tutshill Tornados, were likely to make it to the finals.

Severus Snape turned out to be as annoying and arrogant as James had first taken him to be. Even though he was a half-blood, he was really into the dark arts, something James despised, and wanted to be a Slytherin. He seemed like the type of person who wanted to go suck up to the rich kids out in the corridor, and fidgeted every time someone made a joke about the 'preps.' By the end of the train ride, he had gotten on everyone's nerves so much that he earned himself a nickname 'Snivellus.' Yet, it was a test to how much the scholarship students felt they had to stick together, that they didn't kick him out. Instead he was banished to the back of the train with an oily fifth year Slytherin named Edward Abney who had a strong French accent.

Finally, when the sky outside had darkened, the train crawled to a stop. James's group, who had all changed into their bellowing black robes hours ago, followed the flow out onto the platform.

"First years, first years over here," a giant of a man called over the heads of the older students.

"You all better go over there to Hagrid, don't worry, he's harmless," Jose told the three first years, "the older students in your house will show you the meeting place later, good luck." Then he was gone.

"C'mon," James exclaimed, pushing though the crowd, with Snape and Lupin trailing him.

They were one of the last to reach Hagrid.

"We'll here?" He was asking, counting the heads of the tiny first years. "Good, f'llow me."

He led them to a little fleet of boats that were rocking in the middle of a giant lake. Across the water James caught a glimpse of a huge castle with many tarries and towards. It was just like out of a fairy tale, James's heart skipped a beat as he remembered that this place was going to be his home for the next seven years. He tried to imagine how he would describe this place in his letter home, but found that he could not. Maybe he would take a picture and send it home instead, Sarah would love that.

Lost in though, James followed Remus into a boat; they had long ago left Snivellus behind. They were followed into their boat by a nervous; pump blond boy and a tall aristocratic looking boy, with short black hair that fell over his sparkling gray eyes. The two boys were staring at James and Remus's second hand robes, probably trying to decide if they were scholarship students or not. James, who hated awkward silences, decided it was time to say something before he went crazy.

"Cool castle isn't it?" He asked conversational then added, "I'm James Potter and this is Remus Lupin."

The two boys just stared at them for a moment, then obviously drew the same conclusion and stiffened. James just looked at Remus puzzled.

"I guess we picked the wrong boat Pettigrew," the black haired boy said to the blond boy, totally ignoring James and Remus. "This one's full of white trash."

James couldn't believe his ears. It took him a spit second, then he decided to act, pretending he was looking at the water, he tipped the boat over, sending all four boys into the water. It was totally juvenal, but James couldn't help it. Luckily Remus was good about it, he had obviously been very offended by the black haired boy's comment too.

James couldn't help laughing as he saw the stunned and hateful glances on the two preps faces. That was till he felt a giant tentacle around his waist and a giant squid appeared, dropping the four boys into the boat, after righting it.

"What the hell did you do that for?" the black haired boy asked, as they had all gotten themselves comfortable in the boat again.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," James said in a fake voice, "I must have leaned over a little two far."

The two boys just glared at James well Remus tried not to laugh out loud. Luckily for James the boats hit the shore at that moment, for the black haired boy looked ready to kill.

"What' happened to ya three?" Hagrid asked, taking in the four dripping boys.

"Boat tipped," Remus explained, sporting a smile, which he quickly hid.

"Right," Hagrid said, though he sounded as if he didn't believe them. He did not press the matter.

They were standing in a kind of underground harbor, and as Hagrid lead the way up a flight of stone steps, James slipped and slid on the grass in his soaking wet shoes. At last they came to a huge, oak front door and Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times.

The door swung opened almost at once, reveling a tall, black-haired witch in midnight black robes. Her lips were pursed in a vary freighting way for an old lady, and James had the impression that he would regret it if he crossed her.

"Firs' years, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid told her.

"Yes, thank you Hagrid, I will take it from here."

She pulled the door open and led them into an entrance hall as big as James's whole apartment building. The stonewalls were lit with flaming torches and the ceiling was too high to make out. A magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors. James had never seen anyplace so elegant in his life and was annoyed to see that most of the other students just shrugged the place off, like they saw this ever day. Then he reminded himself that most of them did see this everyday.

They followed McGonagall across the flagged stone floors, though a doorway to the right, James could hear what seemed like hundreds of voices. McGonagall however, led the fidgeting first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall, which they all crowded into.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," Professor McGonagall said, in a very well rehearsed voice. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.

"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."

He eyes lingered on Remus, James and the other two boys who had been on the boat with them, who were still dripping wet.

"What has happened to you three?" She asked them, sternly.

"Boat tipped, Professor," James said quickly, before the others could tell what really happened.

"Hem," McGonagall muttered, then drew her wand and preformed a quick spell that fired off a jet of hot air at each of their robes. Then, as if she had to do this every year, she continued her speech.

"I shall return when we are ready for you, please wait quietly," then shell turned and left the chamber.

Immediately the hall burst into nervous whispers.

"How do you think they sort us?" James asked Remus who was standing next to him.

"I don't know, no one I now has every been here, I though your dad went here?" Remus whispered back.

"Yea, but he died before I could remember him. Anyway, it's tradition never to tell first years how they're sorted. I hope we don't have to do any magic."

This seemed to be the general thought of most people around him, who were quickly reciting all the spells they knew, which weren't many. James was annoyed to see that the black haired boy in the boat didn't look at all nervous, his family must have told him what was coming.

What seemed like seconds later, McGonagall came back to lead the first years into the hall. James was so nervous; he barely registered the huge hall, with hundreds of students, and an enchanted ceiling. Though all around him he could hear the other first years exclaimed in awed voices how amazing it was.

McGonagall lined them up in front of the staff table and placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of it she put a very battered pointed wizard's hat. James wondered for one wild second if they would have to pull a rabbit out of it, before reminding himself how stupid that would be.

Just as he was starting to get very nervous, the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth – and the hat began to sing!

James was so startled at a hat singing that he barely caught the song. Just something about how if they put it one it would sort them into house. That sounded so easy, to bad they had to do it in front of the whole school!

Once the hat was done singing, Professor McGonagall walked forward and started reading names off a scroll of parchment. James was still too stunned by the talking hat and nervous about his own turn to really register what she was saying. He just noticed that the black haired boy he had gotten wet was named "Black, Sirius", and that he became the first GRYFFIDOR" to James's great annoyance. He really wanted to be a Gryffindor, and now he would have to choice a different house or spend seven years with that prat. It wasn't till McGonagall came to the E's that he started to really listen.

"Evans, Her Royal Highness, Princess Lily," was called. And the pretty red haired girl James had seen on the station walked gracefully up to the stool and placed the hat on her head. A few seconds it yelled "GRYFFINDOR" to the hall. James watched as the red and gold table exploded in applause. James sighed, thinking of how her would never get near her with all those people, then though about it, and realized he didn't want to know her. She was just a prep, what did he care.

He was jerked out of his thoughts as McGonagall announced, "Everest, Mark," who became the first "HUFFLPUFF!"

A few minutes later, "Lupin, Remus," was called. Remus, shaking slightly, walked up to the stood. It took a few minutes for the hat to announce him a "GRYFFINDOR!" He smiled happily as he went to join the other scholarship students sitting at one end of the table, who were the only ones enthusiastically welcoming him.

A few names later the bond boy in their boat was called, who turned out to be "Pettigrew, Peter." He took a few minutes to be put in "GRYFFINDOR!" James groaned, now he'd have to put up with both of those preps.

Then, what seemed like seconds later, "Potter, James," was called. James squared his shoulders and walked forward to put to hat on his head. In the background he could hear whispers of "scholarship" and "white trash" but he steadfastly ignored them.

"_Aw, you are brave," _a voice whispered in his ear as he slide the battered hat on his head.

"_No I'm not_" James though back, puzzled at the hat's comments. _"I was so nervous about coming here I was shaking most of today, how's that being brave." _

"_But you are, you did come, to such an unknown place as an outsider knowing no one. Most people would have been too nervous to even come. Yes, you are very noble too, there is only one place for you _GRYFFINDOR!"

The hat said this last word to the hall at large and grinning slightly, James staggered off to sit next to Remus and the other scholarship students, who were cheering him enthusiastically.

"Good job!" Jose, the head boy, exclaimed, clapping him on the back.

"Here here," Rosa, exclaimed, grinning at him.

"Thanks," James muttered, trying not to blush.

He tuned his attention back to the sorting as: "Prewett, Gideon" was called. At his name a few giggling seventh years a few seats ahead of James at the Gryffindor table cheered. In the mists of them, James saw a pretty girl with bright red hair, waving at what was evidently her brother as the hat called, "GRYFFINDOR!"

James stopped listening to the sorting after that, as one after another the nervous first years were sorted into different houses. He did note that Snivellus became a "SLYTHERIN" to his relief. James hadn't been looking forward to spending seven years in the same dorm as that prat.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," Albus Dumbledore said, standing up. He had half-moon spectacles, a long crooked nose, and flowing silver hair, beard, and mustache, stood up. James smiled when he saw him, glad to see a familiar face. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words: Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titleandus."

James didn't know whether to laugh or not, so he turned to Rosa who was talking to Remus.

"Err… it he always like that?" Remus was asking.

Rosa, who had decided to laugh, told him, "yes, but he's a genus so no one can say anything. Everyone was so excited when he was appointed headmaster last year after Dippet died, Dumbledore's a much better headmaster."

"Um, okay, wow, where did that come from?" James exclaimed, forgetting all about Dumbledore, as he saw the piles of food in front of him. There was corn beef, sizzling hams, juicy turkeys, pumpkin juices, and about anything else you could imagine.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," Ella Jones, a fifth year, joked, "Where the food is always great."

* * *

_PS: In these two chapters I know Sirius came off as sort of rich snob (and Lily in the last chapter.). But you must realize, they are rich snobs, that's just how they were raised, to get everything they want and look down on the less fortunate person. I know they are both nice people, but your childhood has to rub off on you a little. Okay, I'm done now, so please REVIEW!_


	5. The Princess of Red and Gold

_A/N: No one has probably picked this up but Mafalda (Mia) Hopkerk is actually a cannon character. I was just wondering if anyone can tell me where she shows up (which is more then once.) I'll give who ever comes up with the answer 10 points! This also goes for Gideon Prewett and Arnold Peasegood. Amelia Bones is also cannon but that's a really easy one, so I'll only give 5 points to anyone who knows where she's from._

* * *

Chapter Five:

**The Princess of Red and Gold**

Lily woke very early the next morning, a for a second couldn't remember where she was. Then she saw Mia in the bed next to and it all came back to her. Smiling like she had done only a few times before, from real happiness, she got up and started to dress.

A few moments later she was very glad she had woken up on her own, as Mia's alarm clock went off. This was no ordinary alarm clock though, when it went off, it shot of water at the bed of the person it was facing. However, Mia had obviously faced it the wrong way the night before, as water shot onto Lily's bed, soaking her pillow.

"MIA!" Lily exclaimed, going over to turn of the alarm clock.

"One more minute mom," Mia grunted and turned over. Instead of turning off the clock, Lily turned it to face Mia. There was an immediate reaction as Mia shot out of her bed and screamed.

"What did you do that for?" Mia exclaimed.

"Me, your stupid alarm clock soaked my bed," Lily complained.

"Must have been my mom," Mia explained, "I'm not a morning person, so she must have bewitched my alarm clock so I wouldn't be late on my first morning."

"You think?" Jenny said groggily from the bed, "tomorrow could you just shack me or something, not make me deaf?"

"Sorry," Mia muttered, as some of the other girls expressed their displeasure in the wake up call.

"But what about my bed?" Lily asked, looking at her soaking bed.

"Oh, don't worry," Penelope, told her, "the house elves will clean it up. My mom told me they come in every day to make our beds, isn't that great!"

"Sure," Lily said, pulling on her robes, "well now that you're all up, can we go to breakfast?"

On the way down to breakfast, Lily found that heads turned and people whispered wherever she went. It was a little unnerving, but Lily was just so happy to have friends around her that she could care less. The other three girls had joined her little group, so now there were five of them grouped around Lily, who was the unannounced leader.

* * *

At breakfast she got a letter from her father and mother telling her how proud they were of her. 

"Good for you," Sirius said moody, he was still mopping from the Howler his mother had sent him, so Lily ignored him.

Defense Against the Dark Arts, their first class, was okay. She thought the teacher was a bit of an airhead but she was still really interesting. Then they had History of Magic, one of the most boring classes ever. The teacher, Professor Binns, was a ghost, and a very boring one at that. He droned on and on about goblin rebellions till Lily wanted to scream, and she had always loved history too.

Halfway though the class she noticed that the black haired boy, Jamie Porter or something, was watching her. No James Potter, that was it. When he saw he look in his directions he turned his headway to quickly and turned a light shade of red. This annoyed Lily, for some reason she had though he might not be one of those annoying people who just liked her for her looks and because she was royalty, but she guessed she was wrong about Potter.

On the way out of class her fears were confirmed. Potter knocked into her, knocking all her books out of her arms.

"I-I'm so sorry," he said, turning red and not looking at her.

"Will you watch were your going," Lily said angrily, annoyed that he wouldn't even look at her.

"Sorry," James muttered, handing her back her books.

"Scholarship students," Lily muttered, shacking her head as she walked away, clutching her books to her chest.

"What was that about?" Mia asked as Lily joined her outside.

"Oh, just those stupid scholarship students, one of them rammed into me."

"But, he's so cute," Mia said, giggling, as the two waked down to the Great Hall for lunch.

"So? He's trash Mia; you'd better remember that. How would your parents react if you came home with Him?" Lily argued, shooting a fowl look at the retreating back of James Potter.

"I never said anything about dating him!" Mia exclaimed, "I just said he was hot, I'm a girl, I can't help it."

"Well, maybe he is a little cute," Lily, said, sitting down across from Amelia at the Gryffindor table. "But he's still trash, and I can't be seen with him."

* * *

Over the next few weeks, Lily got use to Hogwarts. She really didn't miss home at all, except to sometimes long for the solitude she had once had. She was just not use to sharing a bedroom with five other people, she was royalty. It was also a little annoying the way some people continuously fawned on her. Yet, a the same time it was nice that boys would carry her books to class, or save the best seat for her, or give her little gifts. 

Lily had quickly become the 'queen' of her year, heading a little band of giggling girls. Not that she was passing punishments onto others or anything, but she was shown the respect her station demanded. She was a princess, which did mean she was entitled to special 'exceptions' right?

The only people who didn't seem to bow and scrap when ever she came near where the scholarship students. Over the weeks, she came to wonder about these students. They were white trash, yet they seemed so well behaved and even smart. Yet, she had heard parts of their 'music' and it was just so 'dirty.' How could people who listened to that music be good people?

"Lily, which one do you think?" Amelia asked, holding up two shades of nail polish.

"The red one," Lily said, absent mildly, then realized she hadn't taken in a word of the passage of her History of Magic book she was reading.

"Come on," Mia said, "we're going to be late for flying class."

"Oh, I forgot!" Lily exclaimed, slamming her book closed and going to tie her hair up.

Twenty minutes later the three girls raced across the lawn, and arriving last to the lesion.

"Stand by a broom girls, we're just starting," the elderly teacher, Madam Hooch told them.

Lily looked around and realized they were sharing this lesion with the Slytherins. Although she had not yet had actually contact with any of the Slytherins, Lily knew enough to be wary of them. So she took a broom next to James Potter, instead of the other empty one next to a greasy haired male Slytherin.

Madam Hooch then continued to give the class a ten-minute speech on the dangers of broomsticks. Afterwards, Lily felt she would have been very happy keeping her feet firmly on the ground, but seeing the look on James Potter's face, she decided to show off. She had flown a broom before, of course, being a princess; they had a whole Quidditch field out back. She wasn't very fond the sport, but figured it was pretty good for a game that involved two balls that flew around trying to kill people. She was a pretty good flyer too; her father had once told her she could play professional, before berating her for choosing such a dangerous pastime.

So, it came as no surprise, that when Madam Hooch came around to inspect their grips on the broom handle, that hers was perfect.

"Now, when I blow my whistle, I want you to gently push off the ground, hover of a few seconds, then push forward on the broom handle to come down," Madam Hooch said, and a few seconds later blew her whistle.

Next to Lily, James Potter shot up into the air, straight, then leaning forward landed perfectly. Huffing at being outdone, Lily preceded to lift of too, except for one thing. She had stood on someone's used chewing gum! And it was double deluxe, super bubble, bubble gum too. So as she raised into the air a thin line of used chewing gum followed. A couple people ran into it, and it being very strong, got stuck to it.

People on the ground were trying very hard not to laugh as Lily turned bright red and tried to wipe the gum off her shoe. Unfortunately, this just caused the gum to expand more.

"Princess Evens, I think you'd better land," Madam Hooch yelled up to her. Lily, brighter a little at the though of getting to show off a perfect landing, completely forgot she was suppose to pull forward not backward on her broom. With Lily handing on for dear life, the broom shot of up into the air, and she fell of, clinging onto the broom handle with on hand.

It was then that someone had the brilliant idea of pulling Lily's broom back down with the chewing gum. So, beat red and utterly humiliated, Lily slowly sank to the ground, to the muffled giggles of her classmates.

* * *

"Oh, don't be overdramatic," Mia, said, as the girls walked across the ground at the end of the lesion, "it wasn't _that _bad." 

"It took them a half hour to get the stupid gum of my shoe, and to unstuck everyone else," Lily exclaimed, "how is that not bad?"

"Well, we got to fly around well you were being unstuck," Amelia said happily, "that was so much fun. Normally, we would have had to listen to stupid lectures on broom safely."

"Oh yes, great fun for you. It was horrible for me, I had to stand there well James Potter flew in circles around me, that was so humiliating."

"Who's James Potter?" Jenny Warrington asked.

"One of those stupid scholarship kids. He totally ran me over on Monday. Sure he apologized and everything, but you just know he meant to do it. Actually, that's the second time he's run into me, he did it at the bookstore, in Diagon Alley, didn't I tell you about it?"

"Um, Lily, don't you think your obsessing over Potter a little to much. I mean, he's a scholarship student, you shouldn't even know his name," Mia pointed out.

"That's what I'm saying, thanks for the support," Lily said, huffing and walking off.

"What was that about?" Penelope asked, twirling her hair.

"I think Lily has a little crush on one Mr. Potter, this is not good," Mia told her, looking worried. "Her parents are so going to kill her."

* * *

"Dream spells… dueling… dungbombs? What's that doing here?… use of daisy roots… no… Deflating Draught… Doxycide… aw, Draught of the Living Dead, oh, hello." 

Lily pulled back and looked at the sandy haired boy who was holding the book she needed.

"Doing Slughorn's essay already?" The boy asked.

"Well, yes, I like getting my homework out of the way as soon as possible," Lily, said, looking at the book pointy.

"Oh, sorry, I'm almost done with this actually. I just have to copy something if you could want a moment," the boy said smiling.

Lily couldn't believe it; everyone always gave her everything she wanted. Why should she wait for a book, this boy could just use it later? Then she realized that this boy probably hadn't recognized her.

"I'm Princess Lily Evans," Lily said, coming over to the boy's table, "I didn't know if you recognized me or not."

"Yeah, I did," the boy said, looking up. "Nice to meet you, I'm Remus Lupin. Thank you so much for waiting, my grandma died and I have to go home this weekend, so I really need to finish this."

Lily gaped at the boy, he was one of those scholarship kids, she realized now. Yet, even thought he wasn't royalty like her friends, he though he could treat her like an _equal_. Then Lily realized something else, she really liked being treated like an equal. It was so, refreshing, not to be fawned over, or immediately given what she wanted. It was then that Lily decided to do something almost impossible, she wanted to be friends with Remus Lupin. Well, at least secret friends, like she was with Sirius.

"That's horrible," Lily said, "are you all right?"

"Oh," Remus said, looking up again, "well it's a bit of a shock, but I'll get over it I guess. I do have three more and she's been sick for ages."

"I never meet any of my grandparents, they're all dead," Lily told him, "it must be nice."

"Yeah, it is," Remus, said, dreamily, "my family's really big. My mum was one of nine and my dad one of six. So there are always tons of people in my house. Its especially great at Christmas time, we all get together and just be together. I can't really explain it."

"That sounds really nice," Lily said, with a pang of jealously, "it's only my mother, father, Petunia, and me in my family. We're not really close. Father is always to busy, and except for the lesions mother gives me, she likes to be left alone."

"What sort of lesions?"

"Oh, you know, how to sit, stand, dance, play a party, that sort of think, how to act proper. I only really like the lesions because I get to spend time with mother."

"Sounds fun," Remus said, sarcastically, "I never knew you had to have lesions on how to be a princess, I though you were just born that way."

"Well, sort of," Lily said thinking, "its like my sister, Petunia, she's a squib, but she still can't be the heir because she doesn't know how to act. She's always rude to guests, and can't even waltz! To be Queen you have to be able to rule."

"I never though of it like that," Remus muttered, thinking, "so, you mean, if you couldn't dance, you couldn't inherit the throne."

"Well, probably not, since I am the last remaining heir. But the government would never let me play a role in government, they would just lock me up in a castle somewhere, so I don't turn into an 'embarrassment.' That happened to my grandma, she was a lot like Petunia, and they sent her to Scotland to live out her life as a spinster till her brother's son, my dad, inherited the throne."

"That's horrible," Remus exclaimed, looking up at her.

"I know, that's why I have to be so proper and talk to only the _right _people. Because I really want to rule some day, and not just as a figurehead. I want to have at least some influent on this country, and make it better. So there wouldn't be any poverty or crime or Dark Lords."

"That's a beautiful dream," Remus said, then handed her the book and standing up, "but you probably know by now, I'm not one of those right people. You should probably go find someone else to talk to."

"Remus wait," Lily called after the boy, making him turn around. "Listen, do you know Sirius Black?"

"Of course," Remus said, coming back over to hear, since Lily was whispering.

"Right, your one of those boys he's friends with, who helped turn Peasegood and Prewett pink."

"That was all Sirius and James," Remus said, "besides they deserved it."

"Yes, but you don't go around turning people pink!" Lily exclaimed, then as people turned to look at them, she dropped her voice. "That's besides the point. If you're friends with him, you'll know that we're friends."

"He did say he was," Remus said skeptically, "so?"

"Well, I have been forbidden from talking to him from my parents. We're secret friends, of a kind, and I was wondering if you'd want to be friends like that too?"

"What would that mean?" Remus asked, looking slightly shocked.

"Well, I don't know, we could do homework together or something. Just not in public, it's not that I'm embarrassed to be your friend or anything, but like I said, I have to be seen with the _right _people."

"I don't know," Remus said, slowly, "I'd like to, but-"

"I know, it feels a little…sneaky."

"I don't know if that's the word I'd use, but yes. I've never had a secret friend."

"Me neither, before I meet Sirius, but it works out fine with him. Think of it this way, how would your scholarship friends feel if they saw us together."

"Like I'd betrayed them probably," Remus mused, "they don't really like the preps- I mean other students."

"Preps? Nice name, I should remember that," Lily said as Remus turned red.

"Well, okay," he said, talking his book back, "but lets not tell anyone okay? Not even Sirius or your girl friends."

"Sure, it'll be our little secret."

"Yeah, the Secret Homework Club."

"I like that, the SHC."

"We're official!" Remus exclaimed, "wow, major deja vue."

"What?" Lily asked, curiously.

"Oh, nothing," Remus said, far to quickly, "So when do you want to have our SHC meetings?"

* * *

For Lily, the weeks seemed to fly by. In no time at all, October had come, and with it Halloween. Lily had always loved this holiday, maybe because it symbolized everything her world stood for, or maybe it was the feeling that magic was in the air on all hollow's eve. Either way, she was delighted to learn that Hogwarts had a Halloween feast every year, and this was not because she loved the food. 

"So, Princess," a second year boy, Lily though was called Gildory Lockhart, said to her, a couple days before the feast. "Who are you sitting with at Halloween?"

"Mia and Amelia of course, why?" Lily asked, startled at the question.

"Oh, I though you might like to sit with, well me," he said, shinning his teeth at her.

"Err… well thanks for the offer, but I already promised Mia and I've got to go, bye," and with that Lily walked away, very red in the face. Some random guy she had never even talked to before, had just asked her out, what was the world coming to?

"Oh Princess, will you do me the great honor of sitting with me on Halloween," Sirius sarcastically, flashing his semi-white teeth at her.

"It's not funny," Lily said, turning red.

"Sorry, I just wanted to borrow your Charms notes, m'lady," Sirius mocked, bowing to her.

"You know, one of these days, that isn't going to be funny," Lily muttered pulling out her notes. Sirius put on a mocked, shocked look.

"Someone not finding me funny, that is an insult to the sanity of that person m'lady." Sirius sang, "Well off to cause more headaches, ado my dear princess."

And with that he skipped off, humming under his breath.

"To bad he's a black," Mia said, coming up behind Lily, "I'd love to date him, he's so hot."

"Yeah," Lily muttered, staring after the boy, "and would people stop sneaking up on me, you're the third person to do that today."

"Sorry, you're just so easy," Amelia said, giggling, as she appeared on Lily's other side, making her jump.

"Come on, let's go to lunch," Lily said, ignoring her friends giggles, and walking off, them following in her wake.

* * *

The Halloween feast was perfect, or at least Lily though so. Never before had she been to a feast where she didn't have to sit up straight or waltz with boring bald men who were friends of her parents. 

The three of them pilled their plates with everything in sight. Down on the other end, the scholarship kids were even having a food fight, though they were the only ones. Lily laughed so much at Sirius's antics when he decided to come down to their end, covered with food, because he had joined in the food fight.

"Sirius you really shouldn't be associating with them," Penelope said, patting the seat next to her, "why don't you join us."

"Aww, penny, it's just a lot more fun over there, I'm sure you understand," Sirius told them, then skipped back to his seat. Lily squirmed thinking of the SHC.

That night she dreamed of chocolate cake and pumpkin pies stretching as far as the eye could see. In class they learned Wingardium Leviosa and she was the first to get it, even before Potter. Outside the weather turned from fall to winter. Students made snowman out of the hip deep snow that cover the grounds. Then in no time at all it was Christmas. Much to her parent's dismay, Lily decided to forgo the usual Christmas ball and stayed at Hogwarts.

On the morning of December 31st she woke to a huge pill of presents on her bed, and laying on the floor around her bed. After giggling over their presents, the girls topped downstairs and joined the school wide snowball fight one of the first year boys, probably Sirius, had started.

"Got you," a voice yelled, and Lily turned to see Professor McGonagall lobbing a snowball at tiny professor Flitwick. She was so thrown by this completely out of character act, that she totally didn't notice that one James Potter had just aimed a huge snowball at her head.

"I'll get you for that Potter," she giggled, and scooping up a huge chunk of snow, ran after the messy haired devil. They ended up sprawled on each other in the snow, laughing. They lay there for a moment, in peaceful harmony for once, until a shower of snowballs were sent their way by Sirius and Remus. Giggling, the two formed an alliance and charged after the two.

That night, Lily went to bed wishing life could always be like this. No though to rank or status, just fun and laughter all the time. Then she realized how ridicules that was, and went back to hating James Potter.

* * *

Months passed like seconds for the red haired princess. One moment she was walking across the snow covered ground shivering against the bitter cold, and the next she was staring out at a beautiful spring day. She barrowed herself in her studies and friends, and enjoying herself. It was three weeks till exams, then two weeks, then she was in the library all hours of the day, cramming a year's worth of knowledge into her brain. 

The next second she was walking out of her last exam, sighing with relief.

"Please try not to forget everything you worked so hard to learn this year," Dumbledore said at the leaving feast as they all laughed, knowing they would. Lily dug into a shepherd's pie, thinking longingly of this time next year, and the friendless summer that awaited her.

"Owl me," Mia exclaimed, hugging her best friend. "I'll ask mum about coming to stay, but I'm sure she'll agree."

"Oh good, Amelia, remember to find some time for us well your traveling the world," Lily said, hugging her.

"Oh, I don't know, I might be busy," Amelia said, sarcastically. "Seriously, I'm going to miss you guys."

"Its only for the summer," Lily said, looking over to were her driver stood, her parents being to busy to pick her up. "Well, I'd better go, write you two."

"Oh, m'lady," a sly voice said in her ear and Lily turned to see Sirius standing there, "weren't you going to say farewell to little old me."

"Of course," Lily said, then hugged him, blushing the whole time, "owl me."

"I would be honored," Sirius said, also a little red, and bowed. "Till next year, princess," then he was gone.

Sighing, Lily walked out of the station, anticipating a long lonely summer. She felt a twine of jealousy as she saw James Potter being greeted by his large and very loud family. Then she shrugged it off, and slide into her limo.

* * *

_A/N: So, what do you think? I personally loved this chapter, especially the end, but that's just me. Please, please, review and tell me what you think!

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_

Thank you to **.Aurorablu. **_(Thanks for reviewing twice, and it will probably always come in two chapters, which is why it takes me so long to update. You know, a Lily chapter and a James chapter.)_** sugur-huny-bun****, ash, Lady-Elizabeth4242, **_(thank you so much for pointing that out, I totally forgot. If you'll notice, I went back and changed that part to make James know Dumbledore. Please tell me if anything else is off, I feel so stupid for that one.)_ And **jmarit17 **for REVIEWING! (Which everyone else should do right now!)


	6. The Unwanted Gryffindors Unite

_A/N: Ten points to anyone who can tell me who Carlotta Pinkstone is in cannon (yes she is really cannon.)_

_

* * *

_

Chapter Six:

**The Unwanted Gryffindors Unite**

When James and Remus entered the dorm after the feast, they found the four other boys in their year were already there.

"Hi," James said, going over to his trunk by the door and pulling out some pajamas. The other boys didn't respond, but just stared at him like he was dirt. James sighed and looked at Remus who was getting the same treatment.

"Look," a sandy haired boy, who James remembered was named Arnold Peasegood said, "we're going to have to spend the next seven years together, so we'd better get some rules set down."

"Oh?" James said, looking up at her.

"Yes," Arnold continued, "you and your friend had better not take any of my stuff. You don't talk to us and we wouldn't make your life here to hard."

"I don't steal," James said defensively.

"Sure," Gideon Prewett said skeptically, "just remember that your kind isn't welcomed here, that goes for you too Black."

"Hey, I come from a noble family Prewett, so watch who your talking to," Black exclaimed, looking surprised.

"Right," Peasegood said, "and pigs can fly. I don't know how you tricked the hat to get you put here, but as far as I'm concerned you're a dirty snake."

Black looked ready to murder, to James's delight. It was great seeing this stuck up pig get what he deserved.

"What about me?" The blond haired boy, named Peter Pettigrew asked, breaking the silence.

"What about you?" Peasegood asked, glancing at the boy.

"Err… am I welcomed?" Peter asked, nervously.

"I don't see why not," Peasegood told him not unkindly, "you're a Pettigrew right? Not a bad family, just keep out our way alright."

"S-sure," Peter sputtered and James felt bad for him. He didn't seem like he had wit enough to realize these boys weren't going to want him as a friend, for he was a little dim.

"Well I'm going to turn in," Prewett said yawning, "Glad we got this sorted."

Then without a word he and Peasegood changed and went to sleep. James knew that if he didn't provoke them they would probably never talk to him or Remus again, except to say snide remarks about them behind their backs. But James wasn't the kind of person to sit around and take that, he was already planning in his mind how he would get those two back, but it would have to wait till morning. He was tired.

So, silently he changed and climbed into one of the four-poster beds hung with red velvet curtains that he was sure were worth a fortune. A moment later he had fallen into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

When James woke the next morning, he was glad to see that Prewett and Peasegood were gone. James was not an early riser, so he was the last one to wake up. He doubted he would have gotten up at all if Remus had not shaken him. 

"Thanks," James muttered drowsily as he got dressed in his shabby school robes. "Where did Jose say to meet him again?"

"In the common room, he's going to walk us down to the Great Hall, so we don't get lost going down to breakfast," Remus told him, bored. "C'mon, we're gonna be late."

"One sec," James said, as he finished pulling on his robes and tried to tame his unruly jet-black hair. After a moment though he realized this was a lost cause and gave up. Together he and Remus walked down the staircase to meet up with the others.

Jose DeNino, Rosa Garai, Ella Jones, and Susan Thomas, the other Gryffindor scholarship students were standing in a group around the fire.

"Finally," Ella said, turning to look at them, "what took you so long?"

"James isn't a morning person," Remus said, slightly annoyed.

Ella laughed and led the way out of the common room. James tried, on the way down to breakfast, to remember the way. After a few minutes though, he was completely lost.

"Err... how are we suppose to not get lost?" He asked making the others laugh.

"You don't," Rosa told him, "everyone gets lost their first year. Just stick close to us for a while or as a painting. Though don't ask any of the other students, they'll just point you in the wrong direction, they did that to me all the time last year."

The older students spent the next few minutes telling James and Remus hilarious stories of were they ended up when they got lost. James made a mental note to make a map of this place, or he would never find his way around, he wasn't the bet person with directions.

They entered the Great Hall at the same time as the owl post. If James hadn't been expecting it, he knew this would have really freaked him out. I mean a hundred owls flying in all directions was a bit weird. He saw with delight that some of the other first years had jumped so high at the sight of the owls that they had knocked over most of their breakfast.

Clucking to himself, James sat down with the other scholarshipers at the end of the table and pulled a letter from the leg of an owl. In the middle of the table, James saw his roommate, Sirius Black grimace as he pulled a red letter of the end of a large tawny. It was a Howler, the thing all Hogwarts students dread.

"SIRIUS BLACK, YOU FILTY BLOOD TRAITOR!" The hat yelled to the hall as Sirius tore it open. "I AM DESGUSTED WITH YOU! GRYFFINDOR, YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF! YOU HAVE DESGRASED THIS FAMILY WITH YOUR TRAITORS WAYS AND I AM ASHAMED OF YOU! DO NOT EVEN THINK OF COMING HOME FOR CHISTMAS!"

And with that the letter burst into flames leaving a sad looking Sirius and a stunned hall. No one could remember a parent getting made because their child did not get into Slytherin; it was usually the other way around.

For a moment, James felt bad for Sirius. He had obviously just become an outsider in his house and now had his family hating him too.

"Well, that was odd," Rosa, said, looking over at the black haired boy, who was still sitting alone, avoiding the eyes of his classmates. "Who's the letter from James?"

"Oh," James said, tearing his eyes from Sirius to look down at his own letter. "My family."

James read though the letter quickly. It was full of encouragements and tips from his siblings and laments from his mother. He also found out that Ginger, his brother Harry's fiancé was pregnant! They had moved the wedding up to Christmas break so he could be there.

"We'd better get going," Jose said, talking his scheduled from McGonagall and looking it over. "What do you two have first?"

"Err… Defense Against the Dark Arts," Remus said, looking down at his own timetable.

"I have History of Magic first, that's on the first floor, so I'll show you to DADA," Ella told them, gathering up her books.

"Thanks," James and Remus said together, also getting their books and following them out. They climbed the marble staircase in the entrance hall and along a few corridors till they came to a door marked 'Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"Well, good luck," Ella told them, and left them to go to her first class.

"Here goes nothing," James whispered to Remus, pushing open the door.

It seemed none of the other first years had found their way up her yet, for they were the first ones there. A tall blond women in her late thirties was perched on the desk, chewing bubble gum and reading the latest addition of 'Witch Weekly.'

"Oh, hi," she said looking up at them startled. "Wow, I though it would take a while before any of the first years got here. Usually your all completely lost your first day."

"Err… a friend showed us the way up here," Remus muttered as he and James took seats in the front.

"Oh, then you must be a scholarship student," the teacher said. She was wearing a very pink robe that only come down to her knees, which James couldn't help noticing looked very good on her. "They always show each other around, I was one myself actually."

"You were?" Remus asked, happily, at least they had one teacher on their side.

"Oh yeah, a while ago though. Best time of my life, that's why I came back here. Teaching is going to be loads of fun, don't you think?"

James didn't know how to respond to this as he had never taught before, but just nodded his head.

Just then a group of six giggling girls entered the room, and sat down near the middle. James noticed that the princess was in their group, though tried very hard not to stare at her.

About fifteen very boring minutes later, all of the first years had arrived. The teacher, whose name James sill didn't know, got of the desk and stood in front of the class to get their attention.

"Hi," she said in that perky voice of hers. "My name's Charlotta Pinkstone, though you're suppose to call me Professor Pinkstone. And your all in Defense Against the Dark Arts, so if you're in the wrong room please leave now. So, can anyone tell me why we have this subject?"

No one raised their hand.

"Aw, c'mon guys, this is a really easy one."

A girl in the crowd around the princess raised her hand.

"Yes, Miss…Hopkirk?"

"To learn to defend ourselves against the dark arts?" She said.

"And why do we want to do that?" Pinkstone asked.

"Err… so we don't dye?" The girl said, uncertainly, making the class laugh

"Well, yes," Pinkstone said, "because people who use dark magic usually want to kill people. It's really useful to know what to do so they don't kill you. Now dose anyone know what major threat from the Dark Arts the magical world is facing right now?"

"Lord Voldemort?" Gideon Prewett said.

"Correct. This guy wants to take over the world basically, which isn't very good. He opposes both the ministry and the royal family. Probably in your lifetime he is going to be like Grildewald was to my generation, an evil psycho."

A lot of people laughed at the way she put this, and even Pinkstone grinned. James had a feeling he was really going to like this women.

They spent the rest of the class going over the different types of dark arts and dark creatures. James had a bit of experience with dark things, because the place he lives wasn't the, well, cleanest place of all.

The next lesson was History of Magic, which was completely boring. James spent the whole time staring at the princess, for a reason he couldn't explain. She was a stuck up prep right? So why did he want to stare at her for 45 minutes, memorizing every line on her prefect face. Once she turned to look at him, but he looked down at his notes, or at least what was suppose to be his notes, because he had never actually started writing the, He could have sworn she had seen him.

He was still to distract at the end of class to watch properly where he was going. He knocked straight into Princess Lily, knocking all her books out of her arms.

"I-I'm so sorry," James muttered, stopping to pick up her books, and turning red. He was so stupid, this was the second time he had knocked into her, though she probably didn't remember the first time.

"Will you watch were your going," the Princess said, rather rude, looking down her noise at him. This just made James turn even redder and mutter, "sorry" as he handed her books back. A chill went up his arm as he touched her hand. The Princess it seemed didn't notice because she just looked at him like he was dirt and pranced of muttering "Scholarship students," to herself, just loud enough from James to hear her.

For a moment James was crushed. He'd told himself she was selfish and rude and stuck up, but he hadn't really believed it till now. He'd though, for some strange reason, that when their eyes had meet in the bookstore that day. It was hard to explain, but he had though she was different. It was just that she was so smart and pretty and, wait, he didn't like her right?

"Choke much?" Sirius Black asked, coming up behind them.

"Shove it," James exclaimed, grabbing his books and getting ready to walk away.

"Hey, we all get a little light headed around the princess," Sirius said good-naturedly, which made James turn around to look at him.

"Yeah," James said dreamily looking after the red head.

"Look, I wanted to apologize about earlier," Sirius said, changing the subject.

"Why?" James asked, susceptibly, coming back to reality.

"Well, I've had a lot of time to think well-being ignored and hated by my classmates," Sirius said, though James had the feeling that this was hard for him. "I guess I realized that I may have jumped to conclusions about you and your friend."

"You think?" James said, not sure how to react to this.

"Okay, maybe I was being a immature pighead, but I'm not the one who tipped the boat," Sirius said laughing.

"Well, I had to do something to deflate that big head of yours," James joked, taking his books and walking out of the room.

"Hey, I don't have a big head," Sirius exclaimed.

_And just like that Sirius Black and James Potter became friends._

* * *

"Where'd you go," Remus asked, as James and Sirius sat down at the Gryffindor table for lunch, "I turned around and you were gone. Hey, what's he doing here?" Remus had spotted Sirius at last. 

"I'm here to apologize," Sirius said, "I was a big jerk earlier. Is there any way you could ever forgive me?"

Remus looked at Sirius suspiciously for a moment, then decided that if James had accepted him, then he must not be too bad.

"You could do my History of Magic homework," Remus said.

"I could," Sirius said, "but you do realize I was asleep the whole class period."

"Doesn't matter, so was I," Remus said laughing. "They really need to find a new teacher."

_And just like that Remus Lupin and Sirius Black became friends.

* * *

_

"So what are we going to do about Peasegood?" Sirius asked. it was after dinner and the three boys were sitting in the common room, trying to do homework well avoiding the stares of their classmates. The other Gryffindors had still not accepted Sirius and it seemed like it would take a miracle for them to accept either James or Remus. Sirius had told the others that he actually knew the princess really well, but since of his family, she had been forbidden from talking with him, in public at least, so that didn't help. This fact had greatly interested James till he realized that Sirius would tease him no stop if he didn't stop talking about the princess, so he dropped the subject.

The thing that had really fascinated the other Gryffindors was that Sirius had made friends with two scholarship students. A feat almost unheard of in the elitist society Sirius was brought up in. It was true that all the students (except for the scholarship students) were either really rich or some sort of nobility. But the fact was that the Blacks were a very well known and, by some respected, ancient bloodline, who considered themselves practically royalty (they were even distantly related to the royal family, which almost never married outside of a royal bloodline.) So the fact that a Black was mixing with none noble, very poor students was something to gossip about. However, Sirius took it very well, pointy ignoring the whispers and dirty looks the other Gryffindors were giving him.

"What?" James asked, looking up from his Defense book.

"I said what are we going to do about Peasegood?" Sirius repeated. He wasn't even bothering studying, but instead was throwing a ball up and down, bored.

"Well, we can't really do anything can we?" Remus asked, looking up from his Charms book.

"What?" Sirius exclaimed, dropping his ball, "you mean you're willing to let him get away with what he said about us last night?"

"I didn't like it," Remus answered, "but James and I can't do anything, we'll lose our scholarships if we get in trouble."

"Unfortunately, Remus is right," James exclaimed, "to bad, because I'd love to wipe that smirk of Peasegood's- filthy face-"

"Well obviously _you_ can't do anything," Sirius said, leaning towards them, "but _I_ can."

"Oh," James said, leaning in too, "this is brilliant, what are you thinking."

* * *

"AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" 

A girlish scream rang through Gryffindor tower, coming from the first year's boy's dorm, followed by a lot of evil laughter. Two butt naked eleven-year-old boys ran from the room, still screaming their heads off, with bubble gum pink hair and their cloths attacking them. Their skin had been dyed a light pink two, making them look sort of like naked mole rats.

The few people not awake and lounging in the common room waiting for breakfast ran out of their dorms in pajamas to see who was being attacked. They, like their fellow classmates, burst into laughter at the sight of the boys.

"Okay, what happened," Jose asked, maturely stopping laughing long enough to interrogate the two boys.

"Sirius Black," Peasegood yelled angrily, "he poured color-changing powder all over us, then said some spell to make our cloths chase us- aw."

At that moment his shoe hit him over the head sharply, making Jose lose it and dissolved into laughter again. When he came to, he said.

"Detention Black, for attacking your classmates. Come on you two, I'll take you to McGonagall, she'll be able to fix you," then cackling to himself, Jose led the two boys out.

As soon as they were gone, three boys congregated on Sirius Black.

"Did you see his face," James exclaimed.

"Oh, that was priceless," Remus said, laughed.

"Yeah," Peter Pettigrew agreed. He had been let in on the joke, when Sirius realized he needed a lookout that no one would notice, thus Peter was perfect.

"That was not funny!" A girl's voice exclaimed and the four boys turned to see Princess Lily standing behind them. "Sirius you could have seriously hurt those boys."

"Lily M'lady, you know we were just having a spot of fun," Sirius said, sweeping into a long bow. "Besides, aren't you supposed to be 'forbidden' from associating with my humble self?"

"Well yes, but, Ahh, your such a-a Marauder," Lily exclaimed, storming away.

"What's a marauder?" Peter asked stupidly.

"I think it's some kind of trickster," James said thinking.

"No, it's someone who goes from place to place stealing," Remus, told them.

"Why'd she call us that?" Peter asked, still not getting it.

"I do-" Remus was saying when, Sirius interrupted him.

"Its perfect," he said, practically dancing with joy.

"What is?" Remus asked, wondering what Sirius was on.

"Marauders, it's a perfect name."

"No I think it's a verb-"

"I mean for us, twit," Sirius exclaimed.

"Hey, watch who your calling a-"

"Listen, we're all outcasts," Sirius explained, cutting Remus off. "So why don't we form a group, The Marauders, our goal to prank and ridicule all the stuck up rich prigs at this school."

"Hey, I'm not a prig," Peter said, cutting in.

"I know your not Peter, I meant all the other stuck up prigs, not us.'

"Oh."

"Anyway, well be legions, go down in Hogwarts history. What do you say?"

"Well, it's just our scholarships," Remus said.

"Oh, we wouldn't do anything out in the open. Or if we do, Peter or I will do it, I don't mind detentions."

"I like it!" James exclaimed, "come on Remus, don't be such a stiff."

"Oh, okay, I'm in. But we'd better not get caught."

"I'm in, that is if you want me," Peter said, nervously.

"Of course we want you Pet, you're the perfect lookout," Sirius said, encouragingly.

"Well, we should write this all down, to be official and everything," Remus said, pulling out a sheet of parchment and a quill.

**We The Marauders:**

**Solemnly swore to annoy, intimidate, and aggravate all stuck-up rich kids, and Slytherins at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. **

**We swore to stick together forever, though thick and thin, rich and poor, though good and bad hair days, and the rest of it. **

_Remus Lupin_

_Sirius Black_

_Peter Pettigrew_

_James Potter_

"Well, I'm hungry."

"Sirius you're always hungry."

"I'm a growing boy- Peter."

"It wasn't me, hey, don't point that at me."

"Has anyone seen my History of Magic book?"

"Its not even noon Remus, could you stop working for once?"

"Well, sorry if I want to pass my exams."

_And just like that The Marauders were born._

"I'm still hungry."

"Sirius!"

* * *

_A/N: Well, what do you think? Is the friends ship convincing enough for you? I though, that at least Remus, Sirius, and James (I would say Peter, but I don't like him) are such compatible people that they didn't need a mountain troll to get them together, like Harry, Ron, and Hermione. But, they do have some issues that they never resolved, like Sirius still thinks he is better then James and Remus, cause he's a Black, and that will have to be resolved soon. Oh, I also wanted to point out that Lily knows she can't have James and that is one of the reasons why she's being such a jerk to him (figure it out.) Anyway, would everyone please REVIEW!_


	7. Picture Perfect?

Disclaimer: Lily, James, and all other characters you know belong to JK. Rowling, I just played with them a bit.

A/N: Sorry this took so long, I've been so busy with school. I want to give a big thank you to my beta reader: **Gareth** also known as **Merlyn Britainnicus. **Happy reading.

Chapter Seven

**Picture Perfect?

* * *

**

"But mother, I was going to visit the gardeners today," Lily mooned.

"Lily dear, I'm afraid my hands are tied. Your father and I have been scheduled to appear at this function for the past six months," Queen Katherine replied, patting her hair and adding, "should I ask Tin-Tin to braid my hair?"

"Sure," Lily said, not paying attention to what she was agreeing to, "but mother, I've never had to go with you on one of your charity appearances before!"

"Well of course not, but now you are a witch in training. A full heir to the throne, you will have to start performing your royal duties. Besides, I think you are spending too much time with the gardeners, it's not prudent to associate with the servants Lily."  
"But-"

"You are going Lily," the Queen exclaimed, "and that's the end of it, so go get dressed."

Still steaming, Lily walked out of the room, trying to think of any way out of this. Finally realizing she was stuck; she let out a loud groan.

"What's wrong with you?" Petunia asked, sticking her noise out of her room and smirking at her little sister.

"I have to accompany mother and father to this stupid charity fundraiser," Lily sighed. Immediately Petunia's scowl increased and she said loftily, trying to hide the jealousy from her voice. "Oh dear, what a shame, well I'd better get ready, my friends and I are going shopping, it's too bad you can't come."

Lily knew full well that she would not have been invited in the first place, even if she had been free, but it still stung. Still smarting from the accounts with her female family embers, Lily went into her room to call a house elf to dress her. Her mood was slightly improved when she saw the pretty purple sundress with flowers on it that her mother had picked out for her to wear. Lily always did love a pretty dress. Her father even complimented the dress as he entered the limo. On the way to the fundraiser, Lily entertained her parents by giving them the top twenty reasons why they should allow her to invite Mia over for a few weeks.

"And she comes from a very respectable family. I'm sure you know the Hopkirks; they donated over a thousand dollars to that orphanage. Her father, Rupert Hopkirk inherited a small fortune from his uncle and of course the family is in the nobility, you invited them to that lovely ball last year and-"

"All right Lily, you can invite your friend over," the king said, rubbing his head.

"Oh, thank you ever so much Father," Lily simpered, hugging him.

"We're here," the driver announced, trying to hide his grin.

The thought of Mia coming over was the only thing that sustained Lily thought the very long and boring day of speeches and ceremonies. First the director of the hospital spoke, then his assistant, then his assistant, it seemed like ever person in the whole building had to give a very long boring speech. Lily had to sit though the whole thing, her back straight, her hands in her lap and seem attentive and clap at all the right times, well trying to suppress a yawn. 'It's worth it' she kept telling herself over and over again, 'it's worth it if I get to be Queen.' Though in the back of her mind, she wished she could run free in the woods or sing at the top of her lungs like she used to, before Hogwarts.

"It's time to go Lily," the Queen said, tapping her on her shoulder, drawing her out of her trance.

"I knew that," Lily exclaimed, standing up rather quickly so her head swam.

On the way back home her mother gave her a sound lecture about staying awake during functions, even if they are dreadfully boring. Though Lily though her heart wasn't in it, because she let Lily run off to visit the gardeners, Edward and Molly, afterwards instead of going to her room. There she spent a happy afternoon with the two, recounting her many adventures of the year as Molly knitted and Edward read a newspaper.

The summer passed this way, full of long afternoons of sitting straight and boring speeches and afternoons in the little gardener's cottage. Once Mia arrived for a long weekend however, it was like they had never been apart, they laughed and giggled and ate chocolate into the wee hours of the mornings.

Mia told Lily all about her mother's new boyfriend and Lily told all about Petunia's new boyfriend. A short, beefy man, named Vernon Dursley, who Petunia had fallen madly in love with. Though Lily though it must be hard to fall in love at fourteen.

All too soon the summer ended and the school year begin. It was much the same as the last, except for a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, who mildly scared Lily with his stories of death and deserter as a muggle policeman in Haiti. The homework increased a bit, expectably Transfiguration, where Professor McGonagall had resumed her routine of long lectures on very complicated magical topics.

A piece of paper slide under Lily's hand during one such period and she look down to see the neat scrawl of Remus Lupin.

'I can't come tonight, can we do it on Sunday,' He had written, referring to their weekly SHC meetings.

'Of course, why can't you come?' Lily wrote back then checking to see that McGonagall was still drowning on about anamigi- wizards who could turn into animals- she turned around and passed the note back.

'I've got a detention' the reply said. Lily stared at the paper, why would Remus have detention? He never did anything wrong. Almost automatically Lily looked over at James Potter, who was pretending to be absorbed in McGonagall's lecture. She concluded that he must have roped Remus into something, he was always causing trouble.

'What did you do?' Lily scrawled back, just to make sure, but privately she was seething at James, he was such an immature, annoying, prat, who was always getting others into trouble, he just never knew when to quit-

'I used this new spell I learned to throw gum at Peeves in the hall and he crashed into a suit of  
armor, that new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher saw me and gave me detention.'

'He's still a prat,' Lily thought to herself, looking back at James, who was now taking notes on anamigi, like he cared. Then she penned a long note to Remus about his errors of judgment.

She had really taken a liking to Remus. He was, different from any of her other friends. Maybe it was the fact that he enjoyed schoolwork, like her, or maybe that he had a former grip on reality. Yet, there was something odd about him and Lily decided this Sunday she was going to find out what it was.

The SHC had taken to meeting in the far back corner of the library. They would sit there, absorbed in their homework, sometimes asking each other about a hard problem, but mostly sunken into a comfortable silence. Till the night Lily broke it.

"Hey Remus, how come you never talk about your family?" Lily asked suddenly as she flipping though a charms book. "you mentioned them that day we meet, remember? Then you've never talked about them since."

"Well, there not really that interesting," Remus muttered, looking away from her and down at his book.

"Well neither are mine, but I talk about them all the time," Lily exclaimed.

"Yeah, well, they're more interesting then mine," Remus persisted, "so what did you get for the  
properties of moonstones in potion making, cause I can't find anything on them."

"There's an entire chapter on moonstones in the potions book," Lily said, "and stop trying to change the subject. So, how many siblings do you have?"

"Err… five full ones, and about thirteen half ones," Remus muttered.

"Wow, you never mentioned that, did your parents get divorced or something?"

"Something like that."

"What do you mean?"

"Look, I really don't want to talk about this Lily," Remus said, snapping.

"Oh come on, it can't be anything that horrible," Lily persisted.

"You really want to know about my family?" Remus asked, slamming down his book, "Well my mom's a prostitute happy. My dad didn't know about it till I was ten, because he was always drunk and off with some girl. He finally walked in on her and a client and got so mad he killed both of them. Now he's in jail and my mom's dead and I live in a crowded house with all my siblings and my grandma, who all hate me because I got out of there and they didn't. Is that what you wanted to know?"

"Oh, Remus, I never would have-"

"Of course you wouldn't. You're a princess; you've never had to suffer in you whole life. You've always had everything given to you on a golden platter."

"Remus, I can't help-"

"I know that, but you can help being such a stuck up snob."

And with that Remus gathered up all his books and left a shocked Lily sitting at the back of the library.

Twenty minutes later, Remus came back; to find her sitting exactly were he had left her.

"I'm a prat," he said, sitting down again.

"No," Lily said, hoarsely, "you're right, I was really insensitive."

"Well, you were, but I was still a prat," Remus said, cracking a weak smile.

"Well, you have every right to be," Lily muttered, "and you're right, I am a pampered selfish princess. But you know, I can't really help it, this is just how I was raised."

"Yeah, and I was raised by a murderer and a prostitute, you can change if you want to."

"I guess, but I don't know if I want to. The whole just seems like a better place when you're a pampered princess. Maybe I don't want to wake up to the world."

Remus stared at her, thinking, then shrugged and opened his book again. They continued sitting there well into the night as if nothing had happened, but they both knew something very profound just had. After that night, neither of them ever mentioned their family again.

**

* * *

**

For a while, Lily was satisfied that this was the answer to Remus's may secrets. Yet in the back of her mind, there was still a nagging feeling that something was wrong with Remus, and it had nothing to do with his family, and all to do with were he went ever month. For a while, she had tried to brush it off, or say it was coincidence, but there was no denying the fact that once a month Remus left. He never told her were he was going, or what he did and ever morning would turn up again, a little worse for the wear. Lily noticed that no one else, not even the teachers,  
seemed worried about this.

In fact, one morning after Remus had disappeared, Lily came down early to confront him, and she saw something even more troubling then his sudden disappearances. There at the foot of the stairs stood Remus, battered and bleeding, covered in burses, and next to him stood James and Sirius. Not only were they ignoring the fact that he had disappeared for an entire night, but they  
were also not commenting on his injuries. Instead they were talking about Quiddich.

"Did you hear about the Chudley Cannons?" Sirius was saying.

"About them changing their slogan?" James asked, running his fingers though his hair.

"They did?" Remus asked, his voice sounded harsh and he had a hand over one of his many cuts.

"Yeah," Sirius explained, "it use to be 'We Shall Conquer' now it's 'Let's All Just Keep Our Fingers  
Crossed and Hope for the Best'"

They all dissolved into laughed at this, even Remus who sort of half coughed, half laughed, though he sounded in pain. Lily would have gone down and yelled at them, except she wasn't suppose to know Remus, him being a scholarship student and all, so she stuck her noise in the air and pranced passed them. On the way out of the ported hole she heard James saying, "well  
it's no wonder, they haven't won the league since 1892!" to the howling laughter of the others.

"What's up with you?" Amelia asked, when Lily turned up for breakfast puffing and still upset.

"Oh, nothing, just boys," Lily muttered, wishing she could tell Amelia all about Remus, but they were secret friends, even more secret then her and Sirius. For at least Sirius was some kind of nobility, Remus was just another poor student who would ruin her reparation, even if he was third in the class.

"Did you hear?" Mia asked, sliding into a seat next to Lily, and hiding the awkward silence Lily knew would have followed.

"What?" she asked, glad of the change of subject.

"It was in the post, Hesper Starkey was killed!"

"Who?" Lily and Amelia asked at the same time.

"Oh that doesn't matter, it's what killed him that matters, giants."

"What!" Lily exclaimed, "my grandfather exiled them all about fifty years ago."

"Well they're apparently back," Mia informed her, making both girls shiver, giants were not fun. "My dad was telling me that you-know-who has recruited them."

"Who's you-know-who?" Lily asked, not quite following the conversation.

"Err… Voldemort," Mia whispered, "I don't really like saying the name, neither dose dad. A lot of people are just calling him you-know-who now."

"That's stupid," Lily interjected, "why would you fear a name?"

"It's not just the name," Amelia explained, "isn't just talking about him, it's creepy. I wish someone  
would kill him and get it over with."

"Oh, this is so stupid," Lily complained, "he's just one man, I'm sure the ministry will deal with him  
soon. Or Dumbledore, he killed that other Dark Wizard didn't he? I wouldn't get to worried about this guy, I'm sure he'll blow over in no time."

"But Lily, he's been around for like ten years now, and he hasn't gone away yet." Amelia pointed out.

"He couldn't have," Lily rebutted, "my parents would have told me if there was a Dark Wizard out there threatening the country for more then ten years, wouldn't they? And I only started hearing about this Voldemort when I came to Hogwarts."

"Well, maybe they didn't want to worry you," Amelia suggested, "because my mom tells me all these horrible stories about Voldemort and his Death Eaters, makes me wish I'd never heard of him."

"Oh snap, we're late for Charms" Mia exclaimed, picking up her bag and leading the other two out of the hall.

On the way though the halls Lily though about all the things her parents did tell her. The problem was, she couldn't come up with any times her parents had said something bad happened in the country. They only ever told her about the good things. What if Mia and Amelia were right and she was being sheltered? Did that mean Voldemort really was out there and a huge threat to the magical world? What else had her parents not told her?

**

* * *

**

One morning at breakfast, Lily displeasure with her parents grew after an unwelcome surprise in the form of a large tawny owl baring a letter stamped with the official Evans family seal.

_'Dear Daughter, _

I am writing to give you my discussion regarding you trying out for your house Quiddich team. Although it is a very popular sport, it is my feeling that a game involving metal balls that are magically charmed to hit players off the broomsticks is not a game for twelve year olds. Not to mention future heirs to the throne. Thus I have to forbid you from taking part in any games of this nature. I am sure there are safer ways you could spend your time and energies, such as your studies. I look forward to hearing all about your progress in these aspects of your schooling come the next holiday.

-Your Loving Father

"This is not fair," Lily exclaimed, passing the letter to Mia and Amelia. "I don't see any of the other twelve year olds been banded from trying out!"

"Well, you can't fault his reasoning," Amelia argued, "Quiddich is very dangerous. I had a cousin who got hit over the head with a budger and had to spend a month in Saint Mango's because he lost all his memory."

"But it's still monstrously unfair," Lily complained, "I mean it's not like I said I was going to jump of a cliff or something, it's just Quiddich."

"Well, Lily milady, maybe if you jumped of a cliff your father would reconsider," Sirius joked, coming up behind the girls.

"Would you be serious for once Sirius," Lily huffed.

"But milady, I am always Sirius," Sirius said bowing, which made the girls groan.

"Sirius, that joke is no longer funny," Mia, pointed out.

"I must disagree," Sirius, pouted, "my jokes are always funny. Well I have things to do, people to  
annoy, and slimy Slytherins to turn pink, so good day lovely ladies, princess."

And with that Sirius skipped off, literally.

"That boy has way too much energy," Mia complained, "no one should be that awake before noon." Then she slumped over her toast in a pretend nap.

Over the next few weeks though, Mia seemed to be near Sirius more then was strictly necessary for two people in the same house and year. She was always there laughing and joking with him, or asking for his notes for some class or another, even though Lily knew full well she had taken perfect notes herself.

It wasn't just Mia who had taken a sudden interest in boys. Overnight it seemed, Amelia had gotten her first boyfriend, Richard Smith, a third year Hufflepuff.

"But your twelve," Lily exclaimed when Amelia told her the news.

"So?" Amelia asked, combing her hair with her fingers well using a spoon as a mirror, "hey, do you think my hair looks better up?" She asked.

"No, leave it down," Lily told her, then added, "but you're way to young to date!"

"Oh, we're just having some fun," Amelia told her, "it's not anything serious. Besides, my parents met went they were in they're second year."

"But they hated each other till they were twenty," Lily argued, "why can't you give it a few years, we're way to young for all this stuff."

"How can you be too young to just hang out with a boy, it's not like we're kissing or anything."

"I would hope now. My mother told me it was unseemly for a girl to be kissing boys she hasn't been dating for a while."

"Lily, stop acting like such a prude. I'm not harming anyone, so why don't you drop it?"

"Oh all right," Lily said, not entirely sure she had made her point, but knowing she did not want Amelia dating. For when Amelia and Mia dated, that meant she would have to start, or always be left on her own to do homework or something. And she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to date, just yet, expectably not any of the boys she was allowed to date. It was so aggravating, why couldn't she have another year or two to sort this out! It's not like they were even teenagers yet, they were still supposed to be thinking about dolls and ponies, weren't there. Or had nature sent around some sort of memo that she hadn't gotten yet. It was all so confusing.  
**

* * *

**

The months passed, and before the students knew it, it was Christmas again. That time of joy and merry making, were everything was supposed to become right with the world, at least for one day. Lily had decided to stay at Hogwarts again, along with most of the school. Her parents were a little disappointed, for they were having a big Christmas ball and wanted her there to 'show her off' to her future nobility. Sirius, who had been forced home by his mother, sulked all week before leaving, and was heard to complain about how stuck up princesses got everything. Remus too was going home, though he didn't say it directly, Lily hear something about his dad's case getting an appeal and he had to testify for it, that must be a cheerful holiday. The other girls too were leaving, so it would just be her, Mia, and Amelia.

As she had predicted, the break was perfect. Hogwarts glittering with fallen snow, and all around her people laughed and had fun. On Christmas morning she awake, feeling as though there was something she was suppose to remember. Then she looked down at the foot of her bed and knew it was Christmas.

"Mia, Amelia, wake up, presents!" She shouted, sending little spurts of water at them from the tip of her wand.

"What time is it?" Mia asked, stretching then saw the pill at the end of her bed and forgot all about the time.

Lily ripped of the paper on her first present to find a very orange dress robe lying under it.

"Oh, great, mother must have forgotten I hate orange," Lily said, disappointed, then trying to be cheerful added, "Well, I'm sure there are a few good ones."

On the bed next to her, Mia was pulling out a new broomstick, which she had been hinting at for a while now. Amelia had also gotten robes, but they were a lovely emerald green and she was beaming at herself in the mirror well trying them on.

By the time Lily had finished opening all her presents, she was devastated. Not only had her mother forgotten her least favorite color, she had also forgotten Lily was too old for dolls. She had bought her daughter, amongst other things, five, very expensive, porcelain dolls, five silk dressing robes, all in colors she hated, and a very large, ugly, watch plastered all over with diamonds.

"Wow," Mia exclaimed upon seeing the watch, "that must have cost thousands."

"I guess," Lily said, looking down at it, "but mother forgot I didn't like wearing watches. Why couldn't she have bought me that nice bracelet I've been hinting at for a while?"

"Well, she must have got you everything else you wanted, like that pair of shoes you pointed out when she took us shopping last year, that you said you would die if you didn't have. I saw her go back afterwards and buy them."

"She must have forgotten to send them," Lily replied, "because I didn't get them. She sent me these dolls instead."

"Dolls, we're not five," Amelia exclaimed.

"I know, well it doesn't matter, I'll just get her to buy me what I want for my birthday. She always just lets me tell her what I want, but I guess she was a little lost this year, because I wasn't there," Lily told them, putting on a brave face. But inside she was devastated, her own mother didn't remember her favorite color, or that she was too old for dolls, or, well, she didn't remember anything about Lily, it seemed.

Even Petunia, who had been forced to send her a gift, had been closer to getting her a good present, with a pack on Chocolate Frogs and a note that told her she'd get fat if she ate to many of them, like she usual did.

Then she reminded herself there were some people who didn't even get presents, or only got one, so she should be grateful, right? Yet, looking down at her very expensive presents, she couldn't help thinking she would have been happy if her mother had sent her the shoes she had like, that they had picked out together.**

* * *

**

Lily they usual did, when Lily was having a good time, the seasoned passed very quickly. Spring came, and with it, the usual amount of homework. Lily started spending every free moment she had with Remus, in the library, bending over books, studying for the approaching exam. It was almost a relief when they finally came, because it meant they were almost free of the painful task of studying.

Lily thought she could have done better on her History of Magic exam, because she kept forgetting the dates of the different goblin rebellions, but she made up for it in all her other subjects. She even had fun on the Transfiguration one, making her matchbox into such a beautiful tea cup that Professor McGonagall told her she was going to keep it in her office for when she had guests over.

Then they were done, with exams at least, and they had a few wonderful days before the train took them home. It during one of these days that the SHC had its last meeting, and Remus told Lily something she would never forget.

They were sitting in the library like always, talking about what they were likely to learn in class next year, when Remus suddenly turned very serious.

"Lily," he said, quietly, "can I trust you completely?"

"Err… sure Remus, why?"

"Well, it's just, I've been thinking," he said, focusing all his attention on her, in a mildly creepy  
way.

"And?"

"Well, I've decided I don't want to lie to you anymore."

"Remus, you know you can tell me anything."

"I know, now, before I tell you, just remember, you've known me for a long time now, and I've never been… dangerous before."

"Remus, just tell me, I promise I wouldn't hate you or anything."

Her turned to her, his eyes becoming very sad and distant and spoke the words she had for a long time now, been dreading.

"Lily, I'm a werewolf."

**

* * *

**

Reader Response: 

Thank you to: **jmarit17** (Thanks, I would write more, but I have evil teachers who give lots of homework), **Lady-Elizabeth4242** (Yeah, I like Lily and Remus as friends to, well nuff said for now, hope you liked the scenes with them in chapter 6, oh and thank you so much for telling me about the title thing. I was up late and I make mistakes, so please tell me if that happens again!), **dreamergirl86** (Thanks), **carrietella** (I know, sorry, I'm horrible at that, but as you will notice if you read the a/n at the beginning of the chapter, I got a beta reader, so no more mistakes!), **sugur-huny-bun** (thanks, glad you like it, hope you like these chapters as much!), **anna **(I know, sorry, I got a beta reader! So, it will stop.) **.Aurorablu.** (two reviews! Thanks, I'm glad you still like it, I procrastinate so much, but I do it on my homework instead of chapters, actually I'm doing it right now. Anyway, glad you like it and thanks for the reviews.), **victorprimis** (bad-guy Peter is annoying. So I wrote him my way. Glad you like it and thanks for the review!), **all-good-things-must-come-to-an-end **(about right now, lol. Sorry it takes me a while, because I make the chapters so long, eleven pages each! And always update two at a time, a Lily chapter and a James chapter. Stick with me though, there will be updates, eventually), and **cec123 **(thanks, yeah, go Irish, I'm half Irish myself! I just like green eyes more though, even though I know blue eyes are most common.)

To everyone else: Thank you for reading, but please review. I spent a lot of time writing this so I would love it if you spent the time to review and tell me if I'm completely screwing up the story or something. Or you could just click on the story a lot, and make my hits go to 3000 that would make me feel loved.


	8. Breakaway

Disclaimer: Lily, James, and all other characters you know belong to JK. Rowling, I just played with them a bit.

A/N: Sorry this took so long, I've been so busy with school. I want to give a big thank you to my beta reader: **Gareth** also known as **Merlyn Britainnicus. **Happy reading.

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**  
**  
Chapter Eight

**Breakaway**

James jumped off the Hogwarts Express, feeling relieved. He had survived, actually more then survived, he conquered his first year at Hogwarts. Not only had he passed all his exams with flying colors, second only to Princess Lily and a little ahead of Remus, to Remus's dismay. But on top of that, he had made friends! Three wonderful friends, though he would never admit it to them, they had helped him survive this year. Yet, he was looking forward to summer. He longed for a place where everyone accepted him, or at least didn't insult him every time they saw him.

"Hey guys, c'mon and meet my mum," James yelled at Remus and Sirius, Peter already said goodbye and walked off with his two very porky parents.

"Introducing me to your mother Jamie? I didn't know we were this serous," Sirius joked, putting an arm around James and pretending to kiss him on the check and giggle very girlishly.

"Get off," James muttered, shrugging his friend off and waving at his family.

"I'll be over in a sec," Sirius said, as he spotted a red head in the crowd, "I just have to say goodbye to someone."

James felt a pang of jealousy as his best mate walked away to say his goodbyes to the red-haired princess.

"James," a voice yelled and James looked down in time to see his sister engulf him in a hug. "I missed you so much!"

"You just saw me a few months ago though," James exclaimed laughing. He had come home for the Easter holidays to be there for Harry and Ginger's wedding.

"That was too long, I can't wait till I go to Hogwarts, then we'll be together all the time," Sarah said, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet.

"She's been talking about going to Hogwarts since you left," James's mother said, "but that isn't for another three years. And who is this young man?"

"Oh, I forgot," James, said sheepishly, pointing to Remus, "this is my best friend Remus Lupin, he's on scholarship too."

"It's nice to finally meet you," Margaret Potter exclaimed, shaking Remus' hand, "James is always talking about you and Sirius Black and that other young man, I think his name was Peter?"

"Peter Pettigrew, yeah, he had to leave," James explained, "but here comes Sirius."

Sirius was indeed walking over to them, smiling. He became his usual charming self and within minutes had been invited to visit anytime he liked. Then, it was time to say goodbye, James promised to owl the two soon, waving goodbye as he and his family walked out of the station, to the grungy car his mother had borrowed for the trip.

"So," Harry said, once they got in the car, "how was it?"

"Hogwarts?" James asked, "Okay I guess, they gave a lot of homework."

"I meant how was it, living with all those nobles and half-bloods and muggle-borns?"

"Well, there weren't any muggleborns, but they half-bloods were nice? The nobles are all annoying though, well except for Sirius. Why?"

"Oh, no reason, not that I care or anything," Harry said, offhand, waving his hand to dismiss any thought, "it's just you don't get many of that kind around here, I was just wondering…"

"What's the princess like?" Sarah asked, jumping up and down, making them all laugh.

"Annoying," James said truthfully, "she's so stuck up, I would have been top of the class if it wasn't for her."

"Oh, looks like someone's got a crush," Elizabeth teased, ruffling his hair, "that's so cute."

"I do not have a crush," James said indignantly, why was it that he always seemed so childish around his family? Well at least there was Sarah. She was still the baby, and that night before they all went to be, she proved it.

"Jamie, tell me a story," Sarah bagged him that night.

"Don't you think you're a little old for stories," James asked her, looking up from his Charms book.

"No," Sarah argued forcefully, going over and sitting on his lap, pushing aside his charms book doing so. James looked down into her eyes and realized he had no  
say in the matter, he couldn't resist his little sister.

"Okay, but just one, then I have to go to bed, I'vegot a big day tomorrow."

"Just tell the story!" Sarah exclaimed.

"Fine, but you have to promise not to laugh," James said, putting his arms around the girl.

"I wouldn't," Sarah promised, laying her head on his arms.

"Okay, once upon a time in a kingdom far, far away, there lived a beautiful princess with hair as red as fire and a heart of gold. This princess has always dreamed of true love and her prince charming, but sadly, he had not shown up. She waited and waited, hoping one day, her prince charming would come and rescue her and take her away on his white horse. But well she waited, she met a handsome boy who lived in the village and worked in her favorite bookstore. Then one day, and evil wizard come to the castle and put the princess under a spell, she became horribly ugly, and would stay that way till she had her true love's kiss. After her family and friends saw how she looked, they shunned the princess, and she became lonely, thinking she would never be beautiful again. The only  
person who didn't shun her for her looks was the boy in the bookshop. The princess spent ever day there, then one day, she was talking to the handsome boy, he leaned in a kissed her. The spell was broken, and the princess was beautiful again!"

"Oh good," Sarah exclaimed, "she did get her prince charming then!"

"In a way, in the next day, everyone was back to loving the princess. Suitors lined her doorstep and she could wear pretty dresses again. Then one day she married a handsome prince from the next kingdom. She became Queen and ruled her country with a kind heart  
and profound wisdom. The end."

"That's not right," Sarah, said, indignantly, "she's supposed to marry the boy in the bookstore and they should have lived happily ever after."

"But Sarah, in the end the beautiful princess always marries the handsome prince. That's just how it goes," James said sadly, "her parents would never have  
allowed a commoner to marry their daughter."

"That's not fair!"

"Who said life was fair?" James muttered, half to himself, then added, "now I'm off to bed, night."

He left, Sarah staring after him, muttering angrily about how he had messed up the story. That night James dreamed of a red haired princess and a boy with hair as black as his name waltzing, their eyes locked. He stood by the side, his arms full of books, watching  
them, silent tears falling down his cheek and forming a puddle that turned into a pond. Then he was drowning in a sea of tears as the red haired princess and black haired noble laughed at him.  
**

* * *

**

The summer passed too quickly for James. His reading, hanging out with siblings, and just plain being lazy, seemed to just fly by. One moment he had the whole beautiful summer ahead of him, and the next it was the night before school again.

"Jamie, please don't leave," Sarah wined that night, as she sat on his lap.

"Ah, Sarah, I have to go. But I'll be back for Christmas," James promised, hugging the girl.

"Hey, why are we all moping around like this?" Jane asked, jumping up and trying to be cheerful, though everyone could tell she was heartbroken at the thought of losing James for another year. Nevertheless, she turned on the radio, and helped lighten the mood. Soon they were all dancing, even their mother, who was doing a kind of salsa next to the couch with Sarah.

Not for the first time in his life, James wished that a song that would never end. That everything would stay like this forever, him and his family, just dancing. No politics or classes, just music.

The next morning, James boarded the Hogwarts express to nasty looks and unflattering whispers.

"Hey Rose, how was your summer?" James asked the perky third year he had meet on his first train ride.

"Oh, okay I guess. My mom's new boyfriend made me get a job said I wasn't pulling my weight, yeah right. Who do you think cleaned up after him all summer? But it wasn't all that bad, the place I worked gave me a discount on all their robes and I got some really  
slamming outfits."

"Cool, the robe shop my sister worked at did that too," James commented.

"Did what?" Remus Lupin asked, boarding the train and entering the conversation.

"Employee discount," James explained, "how was your summer?"

"Boring, my grandma wouldn't let us do anything, my parents used to let us go out most of the day but she wouldn't let us out of her sight ever since-err… so it was boring.

"I though you said your grandma died," Rose commented, not needing what happened to Remus's parents.

"Err… it was my other grandma," Remus said verily and went off in search of a bathroom.

"You know, I think Remus is hiding something," Rose said to James looking thoughtful.

"You think," James said sarcastically.

"Yeah, I think he's a werewolf."

"What?"

"I think he's a-"

"No, I heard that part," James said impatiently, "it's just why would you think that?"

"Well he's always gone on the full moon for a start," Rose explained, "and he keeps making up people who died, but his stories never match, and it's not like he has a bad memory or something. So, it just seems like the best reason."

"You seriously think Remus is a werewolf?" James asked.

"What!" A voice said from behind the two, and they turned to see Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew standing there.

"Rose thinks Remus-" James begins.

"Yeah, I got that part, I just thought it would be a great way for an entrance," Sirius said, "you know, I've actually been thinking that myself."

"What!" Peter exclaimed, "but he's so nice."

"You know, that word is getting really old," Rose, exclaimed, "and you don't have to be mean to be a werewolf, they only get mean on the full moon."

"Oh," Peter said stupidly, "well why don't we just ask him?"

"That would be a pleasant conversation Pete, hey Remus do you happen to turn into a man-eating monster ever month."

"I wondered how long it would take you," a somber voice said from behind them and the four turned around to see a depressed looking Remus standing there.

"You mean you are a werewolf!" Peter squeaked, hiding behind Sirius.

"Yes," Remus said sadly, "if you never want to speak to me again, I understand."

"Oh come off it, why would we never want to speak to you again?" Sirius asked, honestly amazed, "I don't care if you turn into a slug every month, you're still the best friend a guy could have."

"Aw, can this get anymore cheesy?" Rose asked, whipping a fake tear from her eye. "But, seriously I'm with Sirius, I couldn't give a rat's ass about your 'problem' as long as you keep tutoring me in potions."

"Yeah, just because you have a were-… furry little problem doesn't mean that we would stop being your friends," James exclaimed.

"Yeah," Peter chimed in, coming out from behind Sirius, apparently under the impression that for some reason Remus was safer now then he was ten seconds ago.

"You mean you really don't care?" Remus asked astonished.

"Not really," James said, looking around, "now if you had a family full of evil Slytherins we might mind."

"Hey! I can't help who I'm related to," Sirius said, acting offended.

"Well I don't remember you throwing away any presents you got from them last Christmas," James pointed out.

"Well, evil Slytherins or not, you don't throw out presents, that's got to be some type of sin."

"Right," James muttered.

"Besides, how would it hurt them to throw out presents? I would just be hurting myself, not being able to enjoy them."

"Just keep telling yourself that Sirius," James joked, "now c'mon, let's find the compartment."

**

* * *

**

Second year started off better then the first had, with the news that Prewett and Peasegood were being moved into a different room because of all the complaints their parents had filled. The bad part of this was that Peter had also been moved; because his  
parents were worried the other three would be a bad influence on him. Privately James was a little glad, Peter was nice and all, but he tended to get annoying if you were forced to spend a lot of time with him. He was a tad to clingy for James's liking, and the room  
was a lot cleaner without him.

This year also brought a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Apparently Professor Pinkstone had been caught making out with a seventh year and had resigned  
to escape the embarrassment of being fired. James was devastated after hearing the news, he had really liked Carlotta (as she had told him to call her, out side the class room), she was a really good dancer. James had broken down halfway though the year and invited her to the room the scholarship students hung out in, called the Dance Room.

The loss of Carlotta was enhanced when they meet their new DADA teacher Professor Crumb. He was a tall black man who loved telling stories of his days as a policeman in Haiti and tested his students by firing curses at them randomly. By the end of the first month James's reflexes had improved so much, the captain of the Quiddich team, Ted Wood, asked him to try out as Chaser because of his instinctive ability to avoid the  
bludgers.

Sirius had also made the team, as a beater, and spent most practices 'testing' James on his wonderful ducking abilities until James hexed him. The only one not happy about the two making the team was Princess Lily, who huffed and grumbled every time she looked at  
the two in uniform. Sirius told him privately that she loved Quiddich, but her father had forbidden her from trying out, because she might break a nail. Apparently his main argument had been was that Quiddich was not a game for twelve year olds, which explained Lily's annoyance at seeing her classmates playing the game.

The year also showed the Marauder's new magical abilities in a series of unforgettable pranks. This included, though was not restricted to, the appearance of glue on all the professor's chairs that somehow would not be vanished with magic and caused professors  
to walk around with bits of wood stuck to their various robes for most of the morning. And for some reason all the mandrakes Professor Sprout had been growing came over with a particular like of singing songs from 'The Sound of Music' during every second  
year lesson so that Sprout could not yell over the noise and they had to relocate to a different, and easier, greenhouse. There also appeared a change in Mrs. Norris, the caretaker's mean kitten, who was somehow dumped in a paint can full of pink paint that would not come out even when magic was used.

None of these horrible acts had been linked to the second year boys, but for some reason Professor McGonagall cornered them after class and told them that she was "keeping an eye on them." When Sirius kindly pointed out that they had all been innocently down in the kitchen taunting the house elves during all these offensive pranks, she became horrible flustered for some reason and gave them all detention for 'cheek'. Though Sirius told them afterwards that she must been having her 'time of the month' for she was usually a charming, easygoing women.

It was during this detention that Sirius, amazingly, turned serious.

"James?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think we're best friends?"

James looked up at Sirius, surprised at his seriousness.

"Oh course," he said in all honesty.

"Well, can I ask you a favor? See I really like Rose, you know the third year?"

"Of course I know her, so what?"

"Well it's just we're never together, her being a year above us and I just though- well if you got me in that room, you know were the scholarship students always go. Well, then maybe I could spend more time with her. So what do you say?"

"Err… we I guess, it'd have to clear it with the others first."

"Thanks mate, you're the best!" Sirius exclaimed happily.  
**

* * *

**

"No way!" Jack Gold, a sixth year Ravenclaw exclaimed the next night after James had asked if Sirius could come to the dance room with him and Remus. "He's a Black!"

"So what?" James argued, "he's cool."

"I'm with Jack," Ella Jones, a sixth year Gryffindor said, "how do we know he's not trashing us behind our backs or something.

"Sirius wouldn't do that," Rose chimed in, "Like James said, he's cool."

"Look, let's vote," Javier Toledeo, this year's head boy and a Hufflepuff declared, "all in favor of letting Sirius in raise your hand, I guess that's the majority, he's in. But you'd better be right about him Potter."

"Sirius wouldn't betray me," James said laughing, "He's like my brother."

**

* * *

**  
That night, James, Remus, and Sirius went up to the fourth floor and stopped across from a tapestry of a wizard teaching trolls to dance. 

"Who would want to teach trolls to dance?" Sirius asked, looking at the tapestry, and why are we stopping here?"

"Because I like staring at this blank wall," James said sarcastically, "what do you think?"

Then he proceeded to walk up and down in front of the spot three times thinking of the Dance Room, as the others had taught him to.

"Wow, that is so cool!" Sirius exclaimed when the door came into view.

With out answering him, James pulled open the door and led the way inside. Most of the others were already there, and the room was filled with music. Rose came up to them and Sirius asked her to dance imminently, giving her a little bow and kissing her hand before  
leading her off onto the floor. James laughed to himself, then headed over to the drink table to get a soda before falling into one of the many soft arm chairs positioned along the walls. He lay there for a while, letting the music soak in around him, and tapping his feet to the rhythm, before going over to Ella and asking for a dance. On the dance floor he felt at home as he swayed and bobbed to the beat. With a little encouragement from Ella he started to break dance, like Harry had taught him at home, back in the Rosa Negro when times were simple. When he was just James Potter, another street rat going nowhere, and  
who could only dream of meeting red haired princesses and enchanted castles.

Slowly the seasons changed around him as he danced. The leaves fell from the trees and snow covered the ground. He enchanted snowballs to chase girls who held tight to their hats as they ran screaming. The library glowed golden at night as exams neared, and then the spring came in all its green glory and with it summer. In the dorms they packed their bags and tried to sort out whose clothes were who's in the piles upon piles of clothes that covered the floor. Then the scarlet steam engine was loaded with spirited kids on their way home for another lazy summer. And before he knew it, he was in his mother's car again, crammed in between his siblings on the way home. Yet, it felt strange, like he wasn't really going home, but merely leaving it for a short time. But that was ridiculous;  
his home was with his family, wasn't it?

**

* * *

**

There was a strange feeling in the air though; like the alley had somehow gotten darker and dangerous well he was gone. Though he tried to push it away, he wanted to see the other students again, to feel the comfort of their bright colors and happy faces. For here it seemed everyone was solemn and ready to attack anyone who crossed them. Even his family was changed, Sarah no longer wanted to sit on his lap, she said she was a big girl now, she was nine after all. Edward had quit school although and had taken a job at some dark and musty bookshop, James didn't feel comfortable in. His mother had lines on her face James had never noticed before and her hair hinted at gray. And Harry, well Harry was all grown up with a family of his own, a little girl, Rebecca, who was already one.

James was beginning to feel like an outsider in his own home, when Harry suggested to two of them spend some time together. To bond, like they use to, before James had left.

"So, where are we going?" James asked his brother the next day as the two of them walked down the alley together the next day.

Although he would never admit it out loud, James had always really admired Harry. He had basically raised James and his siblings. Harry had always been so cool and collected, working full time at sixteen to support the family and giving up so much for them. Now he was had a family of his own, and with James gone at school, James was beginning to think they would never get to spend time together anymore. He had been overjoyed when Harry had suggested the two hang out.

"I want you to meet some friends of mine," Harry said, "I was telling them all about you and how you go to Hogwarts and they want to meet you, oh, here it is."

Harry pushed open a slightly rusted door and lead James up a rickety staircase and down a hallway lined with apartments. They stopped near the end, at apartment #223 and Harry knocked.

"It's open," a voice yelled from inside and Harry pushed to door open to revel a very smoky, dingy room. About twenty people were crowded into the small room, they were all guys, and most of them were Harry's age, though James did recognize a lot of his old friends standing against the walls. It seemed to be a meeting of some kind. James looked questionably at Harry but kept quite.

"Hey, Harry, ya made it," a tall boy in the middle of the room, who seemed to be the leader said, "and ya brought your brother."

"Yeah, everyone, this is James," Harry announced, putting a hand on James's shoulder, "he's the brainac I told you about, who got the scholarship to Hogwarts."

This seemed to catch the attention of the other boys in the room, who all turned to look at the two.

"Did you tell him?" The leader asked Harry.

"Na, he just got home," Harry explained.

"Tell me what?" James asked curiously, being completely lost.

"About what this meeting is all about," the leader told him, gesturing around the room at the other boys, "about our philosophy and way of life."

James shook his head, being completely lost, though he had a suspicion he knew what was going on.

"We," the leader said, gesturing around the room again, "are the proud followers of the Dark Lord."

**

* * *

**

A/N: Sancontoa dissolves in evil laughter.

Oh, and I'd like to point out that they do live in Knockturn Alley, what do you expect?

P.S: Please Review!


	9. Boys & Girls

_A/N: Sorry this took so long! All I can say is school is evil and I'm broke so I had to get a job, which takes up my weekends, so basically I lost my writing time. Quick not on the title, it comes from the song 'Boys and Girls' by Good Charlotte, I was in a weird mood and though it feet. Anyway, you can flame me if you think the title is way off. Anyway, hope you like this long awaited chapter. Thanks to everyone for getting this far!

* * *

_

Chapter Nine

**Boys and Girls**

_Remus-_

_ Hey, it's Lily, well obviously. I hope my owl will be able to find you, she's a little young and she's never been to your house before, but I though she might be up to it. I just wanted to see how your summer's going. Mine's been pretty boring, mother keeps making me go to more charity events like last year. I told you about those didn't I? The ones were you have to sit around in stuffy dresses, trying not to sleep, as very boring old bold guys give very long speeches. So, we didn't really get to talk much after the last SHC meeting. I just wanted to tell you (again) that I'm here, if you ever need to talk or anything. Well, I've got to go, so write back soon._

_-Lily_

Lily finished off her letter and tied it to the leg of her owl. She watched as it soared off into the sky, thinking of the sandy haired boy hundreds of miles away. Their last meeting had been a blur, although she had seen it coming, Remus's admitting to being a werewolf had been a little shocking. After the shock had worn off a little, Lily had assured Remus that she was not scared of him and that she wouldn't stop being his friend for anything. Remus had looked a little happier, but Lily had a sneaky suspicion he was still not entirely sure she wasn't going to scream and run away from him.

But that was stupid, Lily told her self, shacking of those depressing thoughts. She walked over to her wardrobe and stared clothes. Her mother had organized a big dinner party for that night, and Lily was under strict orders to impress everyone, especially eligible young man, as her mother had put in. Lily wished she could just take one of the books Mia had sent her for her birthday, a series of muggle romance novels, and hide in a dark corner.

Well, it was no use now, she had to go. Lily sighed, thinking again about her dreams of one day ruling the magical community and got to work picking an outfit. She finally settled on an emerald green robe that matched her eyes nicely and was just putting the final touches on her outfit when her mother yelled for her to come downstairs to greet the guests.

She dragged her heels all the way down, which took a while. So that by the time she had arrived, several of the guests were already there.

"Aw, Lily," Her mother said, shot her a disapproving look, which meant Lily was in for a lecture before the night was over. "Come and greet the Prewett's, their son Gideon is in your year."

"Yes," Lily said, coming over to curtsy in front of the couple, "he's in Gryffindor too."

"Yes, he was just telling us the other night about how you're the top of the class, what subjects are you thinking of taking next year?"

"I decided on Divination, Care of Magical Creatures, and Arithmancy," Lily recited. Afterwards she wished she hadn't said that, for the Prewett's went into a long discussion of the pros and cons of these classes for a well-rounded education.

"How are your other children?" Lily asked after a few minutes of this, "I believe you had another son and a daughter?"

"Yes," Mrs. Prewett said, her lips pursing, "our son is fine, he's in Gryffindor too, a couple years above you. And our daughter Molly just had another son."

"Congratulations!" Lily exclaimed, "What's his name."

"Charlie," Mr. Prewett said sharply, Lily got the impression he did not at all approve of this child for some reason. Luckily her mothers stepped in just then to save her.

"Mother?" Lily asked as the Queen guided her mother to a new group of guests, " why don't the Perwett's want to talk about their daughter?"

"Oh, that's a sad story, their only daughter ran off with some penniless muggle obsessed man. They got married their last year of school and ran off to live in this rundown shack and started making babies like crazy. I think Molly just had her second and she's pregnant again. She was such a promising young witch too, I don't know what I would do if I was her mother, it must be so embarrassing. Oh, hello Mr. Crouch. Lily I want you to meet Mr. Crouch, he was just named Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcements. Mr. Crouch I would like you to meet my daughter, Princess Lily."

"A pleasure to meet you," Mr. Crouch said stiffly as Lily curtseyed, "this is my wife Elizabeth and my son Bartemius. My son was just telling me he read a wonderful book the other day, what was it called again?"

"'The Muggle That Knew' by Blenheim Stalk," a sandy haired boy, with a caged look about him said.

"Oh I read that," Lily exclaimed, "it was very good. Did you understand the symbolism Stalk used in that last chapter, about fairytales and television?"

"I though she meant," Bartemius said, starting into a long discussion on the book, well Lily half listened. She was listing to Mr. Crouch and her mother. They were discussing the current political situation.

"I really don't understand the monarch's opposition to the use of unforgivable curses on Death Eaters," Mr. Crouch was saying.

"My husband and I are a reluctant to sink to that level, we believe that the Unforgivables are named for a reason and we will respect the laws of our ancestors," the Queen said coolly, as if this was a long argued topic.

"Yes, but the ministry feels there is no other way to discipline these people, the bill will pass either way, but we would like the monarch's support."

"If it will pass either way, I do not understand why we need continue this discussion, now if you'll excuse me, I see my husband." With that the Queen swept away, leaving Mr. Crouch with peculiar look on his face, as if he didn't quite realize what had just happened.

Lily excused herself from the younger Crouch and started walking to the refreshment table. On the way, she caught snippets of conversations on all sides.

"Another attack on Kent… giants lose on the countryside…"

"My uncle was killed by Death Eaters last week…"

"If princess Lily just married you-know-who, we wouldn't have to worry," a loud voice said from somewhere to her left. Lily stopped in her tracks, and saw a large man with a big mustache talking to a few other men at a table nearby. Pretending to be heading towards someone in that general direction, Lily made her way over to the group of men.

"The union of the Dark Lord and the Monarchy would forever stop the problem of a violent take over," the man was explaining. "If the Dark Lord just married the princess then he would have a legitimate claim to the throne and so would his heirs. Therefore there would be no need to start a war."

"What about the ministry?" One of the men asked.

"Well, they could become like an advising staff, like in the old days," the man argued.

Lily took a step back, how could those men be talking like that? There was no way in hell she was marrying you-know-who, that would just be… gross. What was he, like forty years older then her?

"Mother!" Lily exclaimed, noticing her mother talking to a group of women. Without explanation Lily pulled her over into a corner and repeated the conversation she had overheard.

"Well, I wouldn't lie to you," the Queen said, giving her daughter a serious look, "that had become an option. But only as a last resort and not for many years, that man should not have been discussing it so openly."

"But Mother you couldn't think-" Lily started but was cut off.

"Lily, you are royalty, and with that comes certain obligations. Your first priority is to the Magical Community, and you should be willing to do what ever it takes for you're people. Now, it's growing late and I understand if you want to slip off upstairs."

Lily nodded, not knowing how to reply and silently stole from the ballroom and up the stairs.

"How'd the party go?" a voice called from her left as Lily entered the residential part of the castle. Her sister Petunia was standing there with a beefy teen about her age, who wore a muggle suit. Lily guessed it was her boyfriend, Vernon.

"It's still going on," Lily replied, looking pointy at Vernon.

"Oh, this is my boyfriend, Vernon Dursleys," Petunia said, as Vernon bowed to her, not looking at all pleased with the interruption. "I was just showing Vernon around."

"Well, don't let me intrude," Lily said, turning and walking away. On the way down to her room, Lily heard the door to her sister's bedroom close and faint giggling from inside. Not wanting to think about what her sister was doing inside, Lily took out one of the romance novels she had wanted to read earlier and crawled into bed. Why couldn't life be like these novels? Lily thought sadly, thinking back to the evening. Why did everything have to be so difficult? Why couldn't she help her people without sacrificing herself?

* * *

On the Hogwarts express, 1st of September, Lily told Mia and Amelia all about her parents 'plans.'

"That's gross!" Mia exclaimed at once, Amelia nodded fervently.

"I hate Voldemort!" Lily said savagely, wishing she could throw something.

"Here, here," Mia nodded, "if it wasn't for him…"

"What?" Amelia asked.

"Oh, it's just my uncle," Mia said reluctantly, "he was killed by Death Eaters this summer."

"Mia I'm so sorry," Lily and Amelia exclaimed at the same time.

"It's okay," Mia whispered, "I didn't know him that well anyway, it's just he was my uncle. I just saw him a couple months ago and now he's gone, and I'll never see him again. It's just weird."

Lily didn't quite know what to say to that, she'd never really known anyone who died. Inside her a burning hatred for Voldemort was growing, it was all his fault wasn't it. All the deaths and lies and problems, until he showed up, her life had been perfect. What kind of people would follow such evil?

Third year started without any major events. The sorting was long and dull like usual, the only difference in classes was that the third years now had more of them. Both Amelia and Mia were taking Divination and Care of Magical Creatures, but only Jenny Warrington, another girl in her year was taking Arithmancy. The first day of classes started with double potions, with the Slytherins. Lily didn't really mind, she had never harbored any real hatred of the Slytherins and their teacher Professor Slughorn was manageable. He wasn't to hard and never purposely tortured his students. The thing about Professor Slughorn was one of those teachers that had favorites, and Lily happened to be one of them, James Potter on the other hand was not. So, during their first potions class, when Slughorn paired the two together, Lily couldn't really understand why. Slughorn usually paired his favorite together so her praise them at the same time, so Lily had been expecting to be paired with Snape again. Not that she really minded being paired with Snape; he was a very good potions maker who always managed to get them the top grade. It was just that he was so, creepy, with his grassy hair and stuck-up attitude. Lily knew for a fact he would never talk to her if she wasn't a princess.

Not that James Potter was any better; he was just another annoying fan. Looking back Lily couldn't really remember saying more then two words to him. Sure in that bookstore and when he had so rudely bumped into him after that History of Magic class, besides that had she ever spoken to him? Well, not like it really mattered, she could tell from the way he acted. Making friends with Sirius and Remus, probably just to get close to her. Always looking at her, like he knew something she didn't, it was so obvious he just wanted to get close to a 'famous princess,' and brag about it. Why couldn't Slughorn just leave her with Snape?

"Hello," a voice said from behind her, making Lily jump. Standing there in all his glory was James Potter, holding his caldron and potions ingredients.

"Well, are you going to sit?" Lily asked annoyed.

"Of course," James said, sinking into the seat next to her. "I'm James by the way, I don't think we've officially met."

"Lily," Lily said, abruptly, why was he being so… normal? "So, can you chap the beetles and I'll skin the pufferfish."

"Sure," James agreed. For the rest of the period, the two worked in almost complete silence. Only occasionally broken by one clarify a step or asking to pass an ingredient.

It went on like this for almost a month. That was until Slughorn assigned a paper, to be written with your potions partner, ten rolls of parchment, due Monday.

"So, do you want to meet in the library on Saturday to do this," James asked after hearing the assignment.

"How about Sunday?" Lily asked.

"I have Quidditch practice," James replied, starting to back up, "so can we do it on Saturday."

'Typical,' Lily though, 'what if I had had something important to do on Sunday. He only thinks of himself.'

"Sure," Lily said out loud, "ten o'clock at the back table, think you can be on time?"

He wasn't. In fact he was five minutes late, run in sweating and out of breath.

"S-sorry," he choked out, "Sirius turned of my alarm clock, said it was blasphemy to wake up early on a Saturday."

"You're late," Lily said coolly, then went back to her assignment. "Lets see, we have to write ten rolls on the Memory Potion with specific references to what your partner would see if they were administered this potion. Results will be tested in class, when your partner will be asked to take the potion and write down the memories he/she had. Well, this shouldn't be to hard."

"Yeah," James muttered, pulling out some parchment and his textbook. "So what is the memory potion again?"

"We've been learning about it for two days now!" Lily exclaimed.

"I know, I wasn't listening," James said, "So what is it?"

Lily couldn't believe it, the nerve of this guy, he didn't even pay attention in class then expects her to explain everything.

"It's a potion that makes the victim relive their most vivid memories," Lily recited, "like birthdays or something like that."

"So what would you relive?" James asked, his quill posed over the parchment.

Lily thought for a moment, thinking of the day Remus had told her the truth about his family. She didn't want to tell Potter that, but then what could she say? Nothing else really important had happened in her life.

"I guess my tenth birthday," Lily said thoughtfully, "my parents throw this huge ball, that was pretty important. Then there was the day my grandmother died and my dad inherited the throne, I was eight, but it was a really big day. So what about you?"

"The day I got my scholarship," James said at once. 'Figures' Lily though, but didn't comment, just copied, "and the day my brother Harry got married and the day Bonnie was born."

"Who's Bonnie?" Lily asked, copying the rest down.

"Harry, and his wife Ginger's, daughter, she was born last year."

"Is that it?" Lily asked, feeling like James was holding something back.

"I think so," James replied, but Lily still had the feeling he was holding something back.

"Look, I want a good grade on this and if you're not telling me something that ends up costing me some marks…"

"I'm not holding anything back," James said defensively. Why was he getting defensive, she was just asking.

"Okay," Lily said, not really believing him. She looked down at her assignment and realized she had to actually describe these events in detail. "Well, better get the basics out of the way, so I can describe this stuff. Where do you live?"

"Err… in an apartment in Knockturn alley," James muttered, conforming Lily's suspicions.

"What?" James said, obviously picking up Lily's disgust at his home. But what was she suppose to think, everyone knew only trash and Death Eaters lived there!

"Nothing…" Lily exclaimed, "So how many siblings do you have?"

"Five," James replied, "Harry, Elizabeth, Jane, Dean, and Sarah. Look, would you stop looking at me that way."

"What way?" Lily exclaimed, god this guy was so jumpy.

"Like you think my family is scum," James exclaimed, "they aren't, they're good people."

"Sure, and how many of them are Death Eaters?" Lily asked rudely. The look in his eyes told Lily she had hit on the truth. "They are Death Eaters! I knew you were…"

"We're what?" James asked defensively, "look you don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh yes I do," Lily retorted, who did this guy think he was, she was a princess, you don't talk to her like that. "You and your family are all trash and you're coming here spy on us. I see the way you're always looking at me, ruffling your hair, trying to look like you just got off a broomstick or something, trying to impress me. I've got news for you Potter, I'm not impressed, in fact you sicken me. Why don't you just go back were you come from and leave me alone?"

With that Lily grabbed up her belongings and stormed out of the library. The nerve of that, that Death Eater. Yes, he was a Death Eater, come here to spy on her probably. She hadn't been too harsh on him, he got just what he deserved, right? But the look on his face when Lily said some of those things… She should have ignored him, like she was suppose to. Wasn't that the unwritten law, to leave the scholarship students alone, so why did it always seem like she was worrying about Potter. Was it like Mia said, did she have a cras- NO, she wouldn't even think that. He was Death Eater scum, she was way out of his league and always would be, it wouldn't work. Besides the fact that he was an arrogant, little slime ball.

* * *

Lily and Remus were sitting alone in the back of the library, like usual, doing their homework, when suddenly Remus broke the silence.

"Err… Lily?" He said, sounding nervous.

"Yes?" Lily said, looking up.

"Well, I've been thinking," Remus started tentatively. "And I was wondering if you wanted to do something, sometime, you know… outside of the SHC."

"Like what?" Lily asked, completely lost.

"Well like a date," Remus said very quickly, "and I know we couldn't do it in public or anything, but I though maybe we could find an empty classroom or something and…."

"Oh Remus," Lily exclaimed, putting down her book.

"Well, it was just a thought, I mean, if you don't want to… you know forget I said anything."

"Remus," Lily protested, "it's not that I don't like you, but I though we were, well, just friends."

As she said it, Lily saw Remus's face falling.

"I'm really sorry," Lily exclaimed, "its just we have such a great friendship and I wouldn't want to ruin it."

"Yeah," Remus muttered, "it was just a thought, but I see what you mean."

With that Remus took up his book again, his hands slightly shaking. Lily felt awful, but knew it was for the best. It would just be wrong to lead Remus on when she just didn't feel that way about him, wasn't it?

It was not like Lily was not interested in boys. She had even started to date this year, a Ravenclaw boy in her year named David Crumb. He sat next to her in Arithmancy. One day after class he had asked if she wanted to go to Hogsmead with him, as third years were allowed to go into the all wizarding village next to the castle. At first Lily was shocked, but then she agreed. David was really cute; he had curly black hair and a really muscular body, which looked like he worked out. She asked him if he did on their date and he said he played ice hockey, a muggle sport his grandfather, who was a muggle, had taught him. It seemed like he was obsessed with this sport, for he kept talking about it all day. Lily was a little annoyed, because this was her first time in Hogsmead and she wanted to see the shops, but all David wanted to do was sit in the Three Broomsticks and talk. Lily tried to find the best of the situation, which was his family. His mother was of noble blood, as was his father's mother, it was just his father's father that was muggle-born, which made one of the few boys acceptable in her mother's eyes. She'd actually gotten an owl from her mother the day after her trip to hogsmead, telling her that 'the royal family approved of the match,' whatever that meant. Apparently there had been an article in Witch Weekly about the date, with pictures. Mia had bought a copy, along with what seemed like most of the school, and kept quoting it at her.

"Princess Lily was spotted cuddling in the Three Broomsticks with a very cute curly haired Ravenclaw on a Hogsmead weekend. Is there love in the air for this princess?" Mia recited, well breaking into giggles. "Well she has the very cute part right, you do know how to pick them Lily."

"Shut-up," Lily groaned, throwing a pillow at her friend, "I'm going to go find David."

On her way out of the common room she passed Sirius Black, who made kissing noise at her and was laughing with his friends at a magazine, she knew was Witch Weekly. Lily ignored him, and the other people in the common room, who were staring at her as she passed. Lily found David in the library doing a potions essay.

"Hi," Lily said, almost shyly, sliding into a seat next to him, she didn't know how he would react to the article. "Um… have you seen this week's Witch Weekly?"

"Oh, yes," David said brightly, "isn't it cool, having our names in the paper."

"You liked it?" Lily asked in shock.

"Well, I wouldn't say liked," David told her, looking up, "it's just cool. I mean, everyone saw it, it's like being famous."

"But, what they wrote about was privet!" Lily exclaimed, getting angry.

"Don't tell me you didn't expect that, my friend Ann overheard me asking you out, didn't you see? She loves this kind of thing; she's the one who probably called the magazine. But it's not like they wrote anything embarrassing."

"It was embarrassing for me, I can't believe your friend would do something like that."

"It's not her fault, she probably didn't know you would care. I though you got this kind of thing all the time. I knew something would happen when I asked you out."

"Is that why you asked me then? To get your name in the paper?" Lily asked, now seething in anger. What was she thinking? Going out with this jerk, she should have seen it.

"No, of course not, but it was a nice bonus," David muttered, "look next time, I'll make sure it doesn't end up in the papers, okay?"

"You know what David, I think it would just be easier if there wasn't a next time. Goodbye!" And with that she stormed out of the library, her eyes growing wet as she ran.

On the way out she passed James Potter, who was laughing about something with a blond kid, Lily thought was named Peter. When he saw her coming her started to say, "Lily, what's-" but faded away as Lily ran down the corridors, looking for a quite black to wallow. 'Jerk' she though to herself, assuming he was laughing at her 'doesn't he know when to mind his own business?' God, how she loathed boys, especially David Crumb and James Potter!

* * *

_A/N: For all of you who though Lily was a complete jerk in this chapter, I agree with you! I was trying to make her a jerk. She's a stuck up rich brat, who can't have James Potter, so she hates him because of it. It's not logical or romantic, but that's what goes though the minds of girls (I should know, I've heard some of my friends whinnying about similar situations.) Well, I think I made it pretty obvious in the chapter, but you can flame me if you think I completely messed up their characters or something._

**A BIG THANK YOU TO: dreamergirl86** _(sorry about the cliffhanger, yes I am evil. I don't get what you mean by no James, I've written five whole chapters about him! I guess if you mean Lily and James don't' talk much, you're right, but their lives haven't crossed much, more of that in this chapter)_, **sugur-huny-bun** _(glad you like it, hope you like this chapter just as much),_ **SlythsRule** _(thanks)_, **HarrySmith** _(Yeah, Lily and James will start to like each other, in, well maybe five more chapters. Sorry, it's a love/hate thing, can't help it, that's canon. I loved the snowball thing, glad you liked it too), _**cec123 **_(thanks, I actually have a beta, but he hasn't gotten to the first few chapters, so those errors will go away soon),_**Aurorablu.**_ (Thanks, I'm glad you like it. And yes I am evil about cliffhangers),_ and **Animals are my LIFE** _(Thanks! I'm glad you like it. Hope you like these chapters too)_

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	10. Black & Blue

Chapter Ten:

**Black & Blue**

"What the hell were you thinking?" James yelled, the moment he and Harry were free of the Death Eater meeting.

"Shut up!" Harry exclaimed, looking back up at the crumbling apartment building they had left, then pushed James into a dirty alleyway. He turned to look at James, his face blank, almost as if he knew what was coming.

"What the bloody hell were you thinking!" James yelled again. His mind a mess, five words kept repeating themselves over and over, 'Harry was a Death Eater.' It didn't make any since; Harry was as against the Dark Arts as James was. Even though he pretended to hate his father, Harry knew the Dark Arts had led to their father's death and had vowed never to get involved in them. So, what the bloody hell was he doing becoming a Death Eater?

"Look, you wouldn't understand," Harry, told him, shacking his head, "I was so stupid to bring you here. I knew you wouldn't get it."

"What wouldn't I get? Killing innocent people?" James ranted, "Torture, and all those other horrible things Death Eaters do?"

"It's the only way." Harry said darkly, turning to look down the dirty alleyway, "the only way to keep this family safe. You don't understand, you're always away at that fancy school of yours. But the rest of us have to live here James, and it's not easy."

"What dose any of this have to do with being a Death Eater?" James exclaimed, wondering why Harry was telling him this. Did he want James to feel guilty? It wasn't his fault he got and they didn't, right?

"Everything. Look, one of my mates, he didn't join. They tracked him down got him and his family. James this is the real world, it's dangerous if you don't follow the rules. Around here one of the rules is you have to be down with this. Look I'm sorry I got you into this, but they've been asking about you. Tom's already in and he's only a year older then you. So what'd you say?"

"I don't see why I have to say anything," James argued, even though he knew in his heart Harry was right. "Like you said I'm always gone at school."

"James," Harry said; putting his hand on James's shoulder, "you're thirteen years old now. You have at least four more summers here; I'm going to tell you the truth. If you don't join them, I don't think you're going to survive those summers. Lord gaining power, hell he's bloody taken over. So what if you have to spy a little, at least you'll be safe."

James looked up at his brother, knowing he was right.

"What would I have to do?" James asked, hating himself the whole time.

* * *

"So how was your summer?" Peter asked. It was the first of September and the Marauders were sitting in an empty compartment on the Hogwarts express, trying to think of someway to spend the next five hours.

"Horrible," Sirius exclaimed, "the old bat was hell. Though I do miss the hours of mindless boredom locked in my room."

"Sirius you're such a ray of happiness," James commented. "Mine was okay, a little to short though. Oh I forgot, I've been working on something all summer that I think will help Remus with his furry little problem."

"What?" Remus asked wearily, then added, "and is it legal."

"Remus!" James exclaimed, "do you not trust me at all?"

"No," Remus responded, making the others laugh.

"Okay, it's not really legal, but I think if we do it right we wouldn't get in any trouble. Have any of you ever heard of Animagi."

"What like those people who can turn into animals?" Sirius asked, his interest sparked. "Oh, can I become a grim? That would be cool!"

"You don't get to choose what animal you turn into Sirius," Remus remarked, "James, I don't know if this is the safest idea. Becoming Animagi is really dangerous, the ministry has to keep tabs on everyone attempting it because looks of people mess up the spell and spend the rest of their lives as a fruit bat or something."

"Their w-whole lives?" Peter squeaked, looking panicked.

"Chill Remus, you're scaring Pete," James said lazily, pulling out a thick book from his bag. "Look, Albus gave this to me a while ago, it explains everything all we have to do is follow the instructions."

"I don't know about this," Peter butted in, still looking slightly green.

"Oh come on Pete, I'll be fun," James said, his eyes bright with excitement. "Besides we'll be helping Remus, you know how much his transfigurations hurt him, with us there he wouldn't be able to hurt himself."

"Thanks," Remus replied dryly.

"What's the worst that could happen?" James asked, lying back, "it's not liked we'd use our abilities to spy on people, like that fifth year, what's her name, Rita something, would."

"Hey, I like Rita," Sirius interjected, "she gave me the best scope on Princess Lily the other day, apparently Lily's family is thinking of arrange a marriage with her and you-know-who."

"WHAT!" James exclaimed, "That's… that's just gross."

"Yeah, that's what Lily said," Remus said.

"Hey, how'd you-" Sirius started, before Remus interrupted him to say quickly, "Um… a friend told him."

"Oh, okay," Sirius, muttered.

The topic quickly shifted to what girls Sirius would like to date that year. A little to quick a shift for James's liking. Something was off, something about how Remus had answered that question and James was going to find out what it was. But for now he pushed it from his mind and turned his mind to more important things, like if he should send this bit of gossip to his brother. Would he be helping the Dark Lord by passing on gossip? Well, James knew the answer to that question, but he had to protect his family didn't he? James sighted, wishing he could be a normal thirteen year old, whose only worries were grades and what to say to cute girls. But James Potter was not a normal boy, it seemed fate had given him a harder life them most people and he'd just have to square his shoulders a deal with it.

So pushing away his self-pity, James joined in with Remus in teasing Sirius about his detention record. Before he knew it the train was pulling into Hogsmead station and they were pilling into the carriage pushed by the strange horse like creatures, one their way back to Hogwarts.

The sorting passed very slowly, but the feast was a blur of food, well more food, teenage boys. That night, James lay down on his pillow, surrounded red curtains, very glad to be back

* * *

The first day of school started with double potions, down in the dungeons with the Slytherins. James was beginning to think Dumbledore had a sick since of humor, pairing these two rival houses together every year. Not that James really minded, it gave him another opportunity to torture Snivellus or Severus Snape, as he was known my most. This year, James had the perfect idea to torture good old Snivellus. He decided to get Professor Slughorn to make him Lily Evan's potion partner. James knew for a fact that Snape had a crush on the Princess. He also knew that he was one of Slughorn's favorite students, if not more then Snape, who was a half-blood. Slughorn could say a million times he wasn't prejudice against muggle-borns and half-bloods for all the truth there was to it. The fact was James was a pureblood, it didn't matter that his family was considered trash in most wizard's minds, they were still pureblood going back thousands of years. Snape might be a genius at potions, but his father was a muggle, thus making him dirty. It didn't hurt that James also happened to be good at potions, if not a natural like Snivellus.

"I don't see why you hate him so much," Remus said, as the four boys made their way down to potions early.

"Come on, you've seen the way he looks at us," James exclaimed, "Like we're dirt or something. It's just so annoying, the way he's always sucking up to the nobles and the princess, and you know he's deep into the dark arts."

"I know," Sirius chimed in, "he's probably already gotten the Dark Mark! Oh, what I'd like to do to all those stupid Death Eaters, do you know my parents wanted me to go to one of those meetings this summer? Like I'd ever be caught dead at a place like that, do I look like someone who kills and tortures for fun?"

James squirmed uncomfortably here; he had still to tell his friends about agreeing to spy for the Death Eaters. In his heart he knew he hadn't had any choice, but he didn't know if his friends, especially Sirius would understand. Sirius Black came from a family full of dark wizards, and hated it with ever fiber of his being. Remus would understand, he was from the same place James was, but Sirius, well, that was a matter for another time. He was only thirteen and his biggest problem right now was making Lily Evans his potions partner.

To James's great surprise, his plan worked perfectly. He just had to go up to Slughorn and tell him working with Sirius was "very distractive to my learning process," and he wanted a new partner. He didn't even have to suggest working with Lily, Slughorn himself thought of it. The look on Snape's face as James walked over to Lily was priceless.

"Hello," James announced, standing next to the princess, she looked at him with a look of surprise, which turned to scorn immediately.

"Well, are you going to sit?" Lily asked rudely. James, figuring she was having a bad day or something, complied imminently, then said in a friendly way.

"I'm James by the way, I don't think we've officially met."

"Lily," Lily said, abruptly, which made James think there was something to her rudeness besides having a bad day. "So, can you chap the beetles and I'll skin the pufferfish."

"Sure," James muttered, confused at why his great plan was going down the drain.

* * *

James sat down for lunch, slightly dejected, after potions that day.

"So, how'd thinks go with the princess?" Sirius teased, slumping down next to him, grinning.

"Shut-up," James muttered, sinking low over his tomato soup.

Just then a barn owl flew into the hall, carrying a red envelope. It circled, as the entire hall held its breath, wordlessly wondering who it was looking for. Then it spotted its victim and flew down towards the Gryffindor table. The students at the other houses seemed to let out a collective breath as the Gryffindors started growing very nervous. Finally, what seemed like years later, the owl landed between two second year girls who both burst into tears. A boy across from them gently removed the letter and looking at the address, handed it to the smaller of the two. The girl took it, sobbing hysterically, and tore it open. She took one look at the letter inside and ran out of the hall, screaming.

Professor McGonagall, who had been sitting at the staff table, took of after her, looking worried. Slowly noise returned to the hall, as the boy and the other girl left the hall, after their friend.

"That's so sad," Rosa said, taking a seat next to Sirius. "I hope she at least has some family left."

The boys nodded, suddenly not as hungry as they thought they were. No one needed to explain what was in the red envelope. All the students it had been from the Ministry, telling to poor student who received it that her family had been murdered by Death Eaters. The students had learned to include the red envelopes in their nightmare, their worst fears. The sight of one of those barn owls usually left the population shaken, knowing that they could be next. For the attacks were random, unplanned, almost as if Voldemort and his Death Eaters were killing for fun, not to gain anything.

"Um… I'll be in the library," Sirius announced, and without another word, left the hall, followed by many glares. He was soon followed by most of Slytherin house, who felt the library was a safer option then the hate stares of students who knew full well that it was their families who had caused the murder of the second year's family.

"Hey guys, I think I'm going to go hang out in the dance room for a while," James said, looking around at the stares he was also attracting.

"Go idea," Rosa muttered, getting up with him and Remus, as the three of them set off, leaving Peter all alone, looking confused.

"Hey guys, why are you going?" He called after them.

'Peter's really doesn't get it,' James thought to himself, slightly annoyed at his friend. Didn't he realize there was a reason the other students avoided him and Remus so much? Why did he think Rosa's roommates ignored her and James could never have a chance of being friends with Princess Lily Evans? It was because they were the dirt of the magical world, all of them coming from the poorest families and the worst parts of town. Sure they might live at Hogwarts and get the same education as everyone else, but they were different.

The Slytherins might get hate stares from the other students, but the scholarship students knew they would get more then just stares. For they had no rich Death Eater fathers or Ministry connections, they were all alone. Most of them had one parent, or like Remus, less then that. This was their only chance of getting anywhere in life, and yet they would always be held back by their family. Their families who worked seven days a week just to make ends meat, their families who were threatened and blackmailed into joining the Dark Arts. Their families who had never really had a chance of another life.

'It wasn't fair,' James thought savagely, as he looked sadly around the room at some of the best and brightest witches and wizards of his time. All of them, the 'dirt' of the magical world worked so hard; to get the best grades, to be prefects and Head Boy and Girl, to please, everyone. But, the truth was they would never please anyone, no matter what they did. Their families didn't care, they were to drunk or dead or gone to notice, and the magical world just saw them as trash.

Yes, Peter could never truly understand. For no matter how much smarter, or nicer, or more qualified James and Remus were, Peter and Sirius would always be better in the world's eyes, for the simple reason that they had money and James didn't.

* * *

It was eleven o'clockthat night, not that James was counting, and it was just one of those times. Everyone gets them, when they get these horrible flashbacks on their lives and think about how much life sucks. The other Marauders had already gone to bed, along with most of Gryffindor house. To their blissful sleep, thinking about their perfect lives, James though savagely. He let out a noise somewhere between a grunt and a snort, then crumpled up the parchment he had been doodling on and threw it into the fire.

A sudden rush of recklessness gripped him and he stole silently from the common room. Hogwarts was so peaceful at night, the only sounds being the snoring of a painting or the rush of the wind.

"Out for a nighttime stroll," a quite voice said from behind him, making James jump. There standing behind him was the kind face and warm eyes of Albus Dumbledore. He was wearing a purple robe dotted with silver and gold stars that seemed to glow in the candlelight, like their companions in the sky.

"Alb-" James started, then changed his mind mid word, "I mean professor."

"Oh please, continue calling me Albus," Dumbledore said, that former twinkle in his eyes, "I do tire of the formalities of this school sometimes. Now tell me James, what are you doing out of bed so late. I do believe I set a curfew that ended a few hours ago."

"Sorry," James started, trying to come up with a reason for being out so late, then realized there was none.

"I quite understand," Dumbledore cut in, "it might be hard to believe, but I too was once young and restless. I assume you just felt the need to wonder."

James nodded, not knowing how to respond.

"I wonder then if I could join you on your midnight stroll?"

"Of course," James said, and the two of them set off in a peaceful silence. James lapsed back into his thoughts involving a promise and a red haired princess. On the last day of the summer, Harry had approached him on his own and passed on James's first assignment from the Death Eaters. He was to keep an 'eye' on Princess Lily and report if she did anything out of the ordinary.

"Albus, can I ask you something?" James said after a while.

"Of course James, however, I can not promise an answer, for something's are better left unsaid. But for now, ask away."

"Um… right," James muttered, then continued, "I was wondering if you could help me with my… friend. See my friend's family has been pressuring him to join the Death Eaters and spy for them. He doesn't want to, but he felts if he doesn't then his family might get hurt."

"And why might your friend think that?" Dumbledore asked, his familiar twinkle gone.

"Because where I live, it's either you join or you're the enemy."

"Well, it seems your friend's got himself into a corner," Dumbledore remarked.

"Yeah," James muttered darkly, "so, what do you think my friend should do?"

"Well, it is never best to do something think is wrong," Albus remarked, "no matter the reason, your friend should stand by the his principles. However, if it is a question of his family in danger, he might need to make certain sacrifices."

"What kind of sacrifices?"

"Well, for example, he might spy for these Death Eaters, yet not feed them any true information. That way he is not full out refusing to help them or going against his principles."

"But, isn't that the same as helping them?" James exclaimed.

"No, it's not, because the Death Eaters are not helped. Yet, your friend must sacrifice his moment to stand up for what is right. That is not to say he wouldn't be very brave, but his braveness will only help his family. James is there anything you wish to tell me?"

"No professor," James said quickly, knowing he was not truly ready to confide completely in Dumbledore yet. Albus gave James a piercing stare, then said.

"James, just because I am now your professor, dose not mean my door is no longer open to you. I know you know how to open a door, so please use that skill once in a while on my office door."

James smiled, not bothering to respond to that.

"On a side note," Albus continued, "your sister, Sarah will be turning eleven this summer I believe. So I have taken the liberty of looking over her school record and it seems she qualifies for one of her scholarship. Would you please inform her of her early acceptance so she will stop owling me twice a week."

"Sorry sir," James said sheepishly, "she's a little persistent."

"Oh I don't mind," Albus, replied, "in fact, she has taken the liberty of trying to 'bribe' me with sweets, and I have to admit I have grown rather fond of her lemon drops."

James grinned at this; Sarah did have a knack for knowing just how to get what she wanted. James just hoped this quality wouldn't lead her into Slytherin.

"Well, I believe the time is growing late James, I think it's about time I retired. I hope you will do the same, for I would hate for Filch to have to throw you in detention," Dumbledore said.

"Yes sir," James replied, taking the hint and after a short farewell, set off back to Gryffindor tower, knowing he would be up all night trying to figure out whether or not to follow Albus's advice. Either way, he would have a lot to think about, that was for sure.

* * *

"Hey, Peter what're you doing?" James asked the blond boy one night as the four marauders were lounging around the common room.

"Oh," Peter exclaimed, jumping slightly when he noticed James was watching him. "Well I've been getting really tired of getting lost in this castle, so I've been trying to draw a map. See, it has all the classrooms and stuff; the only problem is everything keeps changing around. I've been trying to find a spell or something to make the map movie with the castle, but I can't seem to find one."

"Hey, Peter, this is a great idea," James said, taking the map from Peter and showing it to the others."

"I bet a simple copycat spell, maybe mixed with a replication spell would do it," Remus said, thoughtfully. "You know, we could use an identifying spell to you know, put people on the map as well as places."

"I know tons more secret passages and stuff to put on here," James added, "I could probably improve the drawing too."

"Do you guys realize how much trouble we could reek with this thing," Sirius exclaimed, looking at the others with a mildly creepy glint in his eyes.

"So you really like it?" Peter asked, still in shock that he had come up with a good idea for once in his life. Unfortunately no one was listening to him, they were to busy planning all the horrible things they could to with 'the map.'

* * *

Down in the dungeons, potion lesions with Princess Lily were going nowhere. James didn't know why he didn't just give up on the princess; she was obviously giving him the cold shoulder. But, there was something about her that just drew James in, like they were meant to be together, but apparently Lily did not feel the same way. The only times she bothered to talk to James were to tell him what to do and James couldn't for the life of him think of a way to change this. That was until one Monday, when Slughorn assigned a paper, to be written with your potions partner, ten rolls of parchment, due Monday. James grinned at the thought; finally he would have an excurse to spend time with Lily apart from the dungeons. Maybe give her a chance to warm up to him a bit.

"So, do you want to meet in the library on Saturday to do this," James asked immediately.

"How about Sunday?" Lily asked. James thought, what was that think he did on Sundays? Right, Quidditch practice, how could he forget?

"I have Quidditch practice," James replied, "so can we do it on Saturday."

Lily frowned at him, as if it was his fault Henry Wood was obsessed with all day Sunday practices.

"Sure," Lily said after a moment, "ten o'clock at the back table, think you can be on time?"

James nodded, trying to ignore the fact that she assumed he would be late. He wasn't even late to potions, James shrugged it off, thinking it was just Lily thinking all boys were late to everything. 'Well,' James though to himself, 'I'll just have to make sure to be on time.'

* * *

He wasn't. In fact he was five minutes late, running into the quiet library sweating and out of breath.

"S-sorry," he choked out, "Sirius turned of my alarm clock, said it was blasphemy to wake up early on a Saturday."

"You're late," Lily said coolly, then went back to her stack of books. James sighed, knowing this was going to be a long day, and pulled up another chair as Lily continued to talk. "Lets see, we have to write ten rolls on the Memory Potion with specific references to what your partner would see if they were administered this potion. Results will be tested in class, when your partner will be asked to take the potion and write down the memories he/she had. Well, this shouldn't be to hard."

"Yeah," James muttered, pulling out some parchment and his textbook. "So what is the memory potion again?"

"We've been learning about it for two days now!" Lily exclaimed.

"I know, I wasn't listening," James said, "So what is it?"

"It's a potion that makes the victim relive their most vivid memories," Lily recited, obviously very annoyed, "like birthdays or something like that."

"So what would you relive?" James asked, his quill posed over the parchment, eager to know what Lily would say.

"I guess my tenth birthday," Lily said thoughtfully, "my parents throw this huge ball, that was pretty important. Then there was the day my grandmother died and my dad inherited the throne, I was eight, but it was a really big day. So what about you?"

James thought for a while, he didn't have any great balls to say. So what was his best memory?

"The day I got my scholarship," James replied shortly, that one was easy. But what else? He couldn't tell her about the Death Eater meeting, so what else important had happened in his life? Then he remembered his brother's wedding that had been very vivid to say the least. So he said, "and the day my brother Harry got married and the day Bonnie was born."

"Who's Bonnie?" Lily asked, not bothering to look up.

"Harry, and his wife Ginger's, daughter, she was born last year."

"Is that it?" Lily asked, rudely, and James knew she didn't believe that was his best memory. But James would be dammed if he to her about the Death Eater meeting, that was privet.

"I think so," James replied.

"Look, I want a good grade on this and if you're not telling me something that ends up costing me some marks…"

"I'm not holding anything back," James said defensively, 'besides, James didn't even think that was his most vivid memory, it was probably the scholarship one.

"Okay," Lily said, not really believing him. They sat in silence for a while before Lily continued by saying, "well, better get the basics out of the way, so I can describe this stuff. Where do you live?"

"Err… in an apartment in Knockturn alley," James muttered, trying to hide his embarrassment by trying to think up something to ask Lily. Then he resized he knew everything about her anyway, so he could probably just write the basics from memory.

"What?" James said finally, when Lily was still giving him a disgusted look.

"Nothing…" Lily exclaimed almost defensively, "So how many siblings do you have?"

"Five," James replied, "Harry, Elizabeth, Jane, Dean, and Sarah. Look, would you stop looking at me that way."

"What way?" Lily argued, giving James the 'I'm so much better then you' look that he couldn't stand.

"Like you think my family is scum," James exclaimed defensively, "they aren't… they're good people."

"Sure, and how many of them are Death Eaters?" Lily asked rudely. James's eyes widened, how could she possibly know that. Oh right, he was from Knockturn alley, of course she though his family were Death Eaters, that stuck up prat. Lily seemed to know she had stuck on the truth, because she continued with, "They are Death Eaters! I knew you were…"

"We're what?" James said, trying to convince himself this was really happening. Princess Lily had not just accused him of being from a Death Eater family, well, that was sort of true, but there was so much more to it. "Look you don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh yes I do," Lily retorted. "You and your family are all trash and you're coming here spy on us. I see the way you're always looking at me, ruffling your hair, trying to look like you just got off a broomstick or something, trying to impress me. I've got news for you Potter, I'm not impressed, in fact you sicken me. Why don't you just go back were you come from and leave me alone?"

With that Lily stormed out of the library, leaving a speechless James behind, still trying to figure out how things had gone so horribly wrong.

* * *

"Stuck up prep!" James exclaimed that night in the common room, throwing another draft of his potions essay into the fire. He watched it as the flames licked the edge of the parchment and then slowly devoured it, wishing he could kick something.

"Not talking about me are you?" A cheery voice said from behind him and James turned to see Sirius Black standing there. When James didn't respond, Sirius plopped down next to him on the couch and turned to look into the fire too.

"Didn't go so well with the Princess," Sirius said after a while, not bothering to make it a question.

"Of course," James replied darkly, "what was I thinking trying to make friends with her, I should have known she was just like all the other stuck up preps in this place."

Sirius was quite for a moment, thinking, then he said thoughtfully. "You know, two years ago I was just like Lily, I thought you and Remus were both Death Eater trash and I wanted nothing to do with you. If I hadn't been sorted into Gryffindor and been forced to get to know you, I'd probably still think that way."

"So?" James said, staring off into the fire.

"I'm just saying, you've got to understand were Lily is coming from. She's use to everything being black and white. You're from Knockturn alley and all her life she's been told everyone from there is scum."

"That's not true!"

"Well of course it's not, but how's Lily suppose to know that?" Sirius exclaimed, "she's never been allowed to know anyone who's not part of her parents perfect world. That's the thing with Lily, she's under a lot of pressure, more then she even realizes. She's the next ruler and if she doesn't act perfectly right now, she'll risk the Ministry depriving her of power when she gets the crown. Don't you see, you scare her, because if you're right, then everything she's been taught is wrong. If you're right, she'll have to risk disrupting the whole magical community by going against her parents. And Lily's would never do that, so why don't you just drop it?"

Sirius faded out, looking sadly at the fire again. For a few minutes James was speechless, then he said the one thing Sirius had been dreading.

"I can't drop it. I don't know why Sirius, but even now when she's been such a prat to me, I can't stop think about her."

"You've got it that bad?" Sirius asked, turning from the fire to look at James.

"Yeah," James replied, "I don't know mate, but there's just something about her… "

"You know this isn't going to be easy right?"

"Of course, but I just can't give up on her Sirius, not yet."

"Well then I wish you luck," Sirius exclaimed, "and make sure I'm the best man at your wedding."

"Hey, who said anything about marriage, I just want to date her," James exclaimed, waking Sirius over the head with a pillow. "Now, if you wouldn't mind, I have a lot of work to do."

"So, about an hour before I should be ready for a midnight raid on the kitchens."

"Make it forty-five minutes, I'm doing potions."

* * *

Time passes slowly for some and quickly for others, for James his fifth year seemed to fly by. Gryffindor house managed to come in second place in Quidditch, mainly due to James's excellent chaser skills. As for the princess, aside from one minor fight, they managed to be survive to each other during potions all year. Lily once even asked to borrow a quill, a major step up from the cold shoulder James was use to, For some reason, Lily's refusal to even be pleasant to James just made James want to date her more. Maybe that was the whole, "playing hard to get" think his mother had told him about. Anyway, James tried to focus his mind on other things for the remainder of the school year, like how to prank the Slytherins so badly it went down in Hogwarts history.

James and Sirius had some… unusually ideas, which, with the help of Remus, managed to turn into some pretty funny pranks. They included turning all the Slytherins robes red and gold before the biggest match of the session, so they looked like Gryffindor supporters. Then they unscrewed all the beds in the castles so they all crashed to the floor at 3 am. Oh, and the time James put a permit sticking charm on the Slytherin common room door so they couldn't get out, Dumbledore himself had to come down to take it off. Then on the very last day of term, the Marauders did their most daring prank ever; they turned Profess McGonagall hair pink!

After a very long telling off in front of the school, which kept bursting into laughter at odd moments, because McGonagall looked so funny, the whole group was given two months of Friday detentions starting the next term. After that the Marauders went from nobodies to some of the most popular people in school. Apparently if you were cool enough to turn McGonagall hair pink, the student body would forget about the scholarship student status. So, it was with a heavy heart that James boarded the Hogwarts express, knowing third year was over, and he would never be able to go back, just forward, following the great circle of life.

* * *

A/N: IT'S OVER! Third year is over! Sorry, this was like the hardest year ever to write, which is what took me so long. I hope you all liked it, this is my longest chapter ever, fourteen pages. For all of you who want to know, this whole story is now **110 pages long! **So congratulations to everyone who's gotten this far, you've basically just read a very short book. Don't worry, we've still got four more year to go and about three years after that. So there will be tons more chapters. Okay, I'm going to go write chapter eleven now! So thanks to all the reviews and everyone else PLEASE REVIEW! 


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